


Summer Daze

by dubfu (eclipseddestiny)



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, OT9 Interactions, Summer Camp AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-09-01 04:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 41,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16758133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eclipseddestiny/pseuds/dubfu
Summary: Sana wants to have fun. And what's more fun than sharing the next five days with eight other girls?





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Happy birthday to the wonderful ydek! This was initially going to be a one-shot for you, but it grew at an almost unreasonably alarming rate, so now it's a multi-chapter that I'm still currently/actively writing! Oops! I also did that summary thing I joked about. This is my first time tackling an entire group's dynamics in one fic, btw - scary! This is wholly intended as a lighthearted, and maybe sometimes silly, fanfic. Upcoming chapters are much longer, I assure you.
> 
> Anyway, I love you, Jessup! I hope your day is awesome, possum (that's a thing you say, right?).

“What do you mean we can’t sit together on the bus?!” Sana’s indignant whine is loud enough that even Momo can’t help but flush at the secondhand embarrassment. Too many eyes glance toward their direction from within the minimal radius of the bus stop.  
  
“I told you this yesterday!” Momo puts a hand over Sana’s mouth before continuing, “I have a friend from work who is also going, but I’m the only person they know. You wouldn’t want me leaving you alone if I was the only person here that you knew, right?”  
  
Sana huffs, “I’m not a bad listener! You only said a friend was coming, not that it would mean we can’t sit on the bus together.” Shaking her head away from Momo’s touch, she wraps her arms around Jihyo’s neck from the side, a mutual friend of theirs who has been ignoring their conversation in order to read the camp pamphlet. The deadly Minatozaki pout quickly surfaces before mouthing, “I hate you.”  
  
Momo rolls her eyes. “I hate you, too.”  
  
There’s a brief moment of silence between the two of their mutual glares, before Momo gently shoves Sana’s shoulder and the two begin to giggle. Jihyo barely stumbles as the force of Momo’s nudge on Sana leans into her body, but she’s too busy reading to care. Out of the three of them, someone has to know what’s going on when they get there.  
  
“Both of you know how to swim, right?” Jihyo asks, instantly grabbing the attention of her friends. Sana nods against her shoulder, though it changes from a small confirmation to an easy excuse for Sana to rub her cheek against Jihyo.  
  
Momo smiles. “Actually, I recently learned how to so that I’d be ready for this. My coworker is the one who taught me.”  
  
“You went swimming without - “ Sana starts, though Jihyo is quick to cut her off.  
  
“We used to go to the park together without Momo, don’t even try it.”  
  
Sana silences herself on the subject before moving on, “So when are they coming?”  
  
A simultaneous answer from both Momo and Jihyo, “Who?”  
  
“Your friend,” Sana clarifies as her eyes meet Momo’s, “the coworker?”  
  
“She texted me that she was running late,” Momo mumbles, biting the inside of her cheek. “If anything, I can save a seat for her if we start heading inside.”  
  
“They won’t do that, they will be doing a headcount before we file in,” Jihyo says. “Also, I hope you know that phone reception is going to suck, and there is no wifi out there.”  
  
“I know,” Sana sighs. “I won’t be able to look at Instagram.”  
  
Jihyo smirks. “You’d only use it to look at girls, anyway.”  
  
“Hey, it’s for fitspiration!”  
  
Momo laughs. “You are the gayest girl I’ve ever met, don’t bother lying.”  
  
Sana is about to interject, another whine warming up at the back of her throat, before she finds herself blinking at an approaching figure from behind Momo. A girl in a loose, oversized flannel over a plain white t-shirt and some light blue jeans is not a particularly rare visual by any means, but Sana can’t ignore the fact that her heart maybe just skipped a few beats. It shocks her even more when the girl taps on Momo’s shoulder, causing her to turn and then share a mutual smile with the stranger.  
  
Without prompting, Jihyo gently rubs Sana’s cheek while the latter eyes the interaction like a hawk. It is absolutely unfair that Momo gets to work with such a pretty girl but, then again, Sana is the only one with that thought running through her head.  
  
“You made it!” Momo pats the girl’s back. “I was getting worried you would miss it!”  
  
“I know, I’m sorry. Forgot a few things so I had to head back and quickly pack them,” the girl says with a bashful giggle, “but I’m here now.” Her voice is soft, maybe a bit breathless, and Sana wonders if it’s her natural volume or if she’s feeling shy amidst the large crowd that has pooled around the bus stop. She clears her throat and is satisfied when Momo catches the cue.  
  
“Oh!” Momo faces Sana and Jihyo again, her arm around her coworker to gesture toward her friends. “These are my best friends, Sana and Jihyo,” she says, directing her finger toward each girl to distinguish them from one another. “And this is Mina, guys.”  
  
Jihyo offers a small wave and smile while Sana unwraps herself from their hug. She hops over to Mina, although she hopes that she doesn’t come off too excited to say hello. But there is a strong sense of satisfaction that greets her when she draws nearer, and Mina’s surprised blinks are accompanied by a blush. A part of Sana wants to give this girl a hug.  
  
“Hi! It’s so nice to meet the person who takes care of Momo when I can’t!” Sana beams, extending a hand for Mina to shake, so long as the latter is comfortable with it. Ignoring yet another hard eye roll from her long-time best friend, Sana is more than happy when Mina returns the handshake. There is another shy giggle that follows, and Sana notices the gummy nature of the girl’s smile. _Cute_.  
  
“Yes,” Mina begins when the amusement has subsided, “that would be me. But she does a good job at the cafe, I can promise you that.” Sana wants to crack a joke about how Momo has spilled her drink on more than one occasion during her visits, but the thought is immediately pushed away at the realization that she had been to Momo’s cafe more than once without ever seeing Mina.  
  
“How long have you worked there?” Sana asks, now curious. Mina seems to opt for a very literal answer, her gaze moving to the corner of her eyes as though to ponder the exact month.  
  
Momo notices and answers, “The beginning of this year.” Mina smiles and nods, seemingly grateful for the aid.  
  
“How have we not met, then? I’ve stopped by plenty of times.”  
  
“I don’t always have the same shift as Momo, unfortunately,” Mina states, “but I help in the back a lot with stock and things, so you probably see Momo more because she serves.”  
  
Momo adds, “Mina is introverted so she is more supportive with the stuff in the back instead of being up front with the customers.”  
  
Sana raises an eyebrow, looking to Mina again. “There are quieter jobs if you’re shy.”  
  
“Well,” Mina starts, attacking Sana’s chest directly with a bashful but serious expression, “I thought it would be a good way to push myself. I can do things if I have to, so I’m making sure to memorize all the small things and procedures before I put myself at the front.” She gives a slow, almost awkward fist of determination, and maybe it’s the cutest thing that Sana has seen today.  
  
Momo smiles and is about to talk more about their job when an older woman suddenly steps out of the bus and begins to call for a headcount. Sana knows that Mina is probably relying on Momo for familiarity, so she leaves them alone to talk while Jihyo shares a few things with her about the camp during attendance. However, that doesn’t stop her from sneaking frequent glances at a certain flannel-clad girl, and it isn’t long before everyone begins walking inside of the bus. It’s the type of bus for big school field trips, with the fuzzy seats and giant windows.  
  
Sana had initially planned for her, Jihyo, and Momo to race for the triple-seat at the back of the bus, but with Mina added to their party they decide to sit in two-seaters opposite of one another in case any of them want to lean over and talk. But the bus ride is long, and Sana almost wants to scold Momo for falling asleep within twenty minutes despite making a big deal about not wanting Mina to feel alone, but she loses any desire to when she peeks over and watches Mina stare out the window with a snoozing Momo against her shoulder. Sana smiles softly to herself, and she is reminded, as she is daily, of how grateful she is for a friend like Momo.  
  
She feels Jihyo lean toward her. “Cute, right?”  
  
“What? Me?” Sana blinks, turning to Jihyo. Her wit turns back on, “I know!”  
  
Jihyo laughs for a moment but whispers back, “Momo’s coworker.”  
  
“Jihyo!” Sana gently smacks Jihyo’s shoulder, keeping her poker face. “Crushing already? How bold of you.”  
  
There is a scoff. “Please. Don’t act like you weren’t staring at her before.”  
  
“And what, do you want me to call her ugly? No! She’s pretty, yeah. And?”  
  
Jihyo shrugs. “I’m just saying, I wouldn’t blame you. Maybe I’d even support you.”  
  
A gasp of mock offense. “Are you saying you normally don’t?!”  
  
The deadpan nod from Jihyo causes Sana to smack her shoulder again, and Jihyo quickly becomes the victim of a tickle battle between the two of them. Momo is Sana’s longest and closest friend, but often times she likes to consider Jihyo her best friend, too. Multiple people can be the best, she figures.  
  
After a minute or so of tickling, teasing, and laughing, Sana adjusts herself comfortably back into position in the chair before taking the chance to look over at the seats across from her again. Much to her surprise, her ears are suddenly prone to heat when she meets Mina’s gaze, looking back at her with an amused smile. Although embarrassed to be caught looking, Sana selects a bold and teasing route, and wiggles her fingers in the air to relay a tickle threat in Mina’s direction from across the aisle. She swears she can see a trace of a pink hue from the girl’s cheeks, but Mina gives back a tiny smirk in response, raising her free arm to return the gesture.  
  
A huge grin plasters itself onto Sana’s face.  
  
“Cute and playful,” Jihyo mumbles from beside her, though the phone in her hand is demanding most of her attention.  
  
Mina’s smirk relaxes back into a soft smile before she turns her head back toward the window, and Sana can’t help but turn toward her own. Maybe the next few days will be more fun than she initially expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you have any comments, feel free to share them! If you're like me and are too anxious to ever leave comments on fics, regardless of whether or not you love them, then don't worry about it! #Relatable!
> 
> You can find me over at @heartshooketh on Twitter, if you want!


	2. Really, Really (Day One)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you thought chapters would be shorter, huh?

Sana is starting to wish that she had paid more attention to what Jihyo was telling her about the camp when she realizes upon parking that every cabin fits nine girls, and that it isn’t a smaller setting. The thought that they may not be able to be in the same cabin due to potential competition over living arrangements isn’t one that Sana particularly wants to entertain. Reading the pamphlet might have paid off.  
  
“And you’re sure you got us together?”  
  
Jihyo pats her back. “Yes, I did. I even got Mina with us, as per Momo’s request.”  
  
“And you’ll bunk with me, right?” Sana is no stranger to puppy-dog eyes.  
  
“As long as I get to be the bottom,” is Jihyo’s reply, yet she regrets it immediately and rolls her eyes when Sana shoots her a wink and blows her a kiss.  
  
They exit the bus and immediately head toward the side of it to retrieve their luggage. A giant pile of bags sitting on the grass isn’t a welcoming sight, and the girls aren’t sure if it’s better to wait for the majority of it to be gone or to try and get their hands on their belongings as soon as possible. They watch in awe as a tall girl calmly walks toward the mound and, in a single swoop, whips her luggage out from the center of the pile before disappearing further into the campsite.  
  
“That was hot,” Sana comments, in amused disbelief.  
  
Momo chuckles. “How did she do that?”  
  
“Why don’t you try it?” Jihyo challenges, smirking at Momo.  
  
“No way! I’ll wait until we do it together.”  
  
Mina nudges Momo. “You can do it.”  
  
Momo frowns at her for a moment before relenting and walking toward the pile. Politely making her way through the crowd of girls, she arrives at the bags and takes a moment to scan for her own.  
  
“Hey,” Sana smirks as she taps Mina’s shoulder, “Please tell me you normally dare her to do funny stuff while I’m not around.”  
  
“Not much, but I couldn’t resist.” The self-conscious laugh that comes out of Mina’s mouth is cute, and Sana makes sure to join in.  
  
“If I’m going to do this, you better be looking!” Momo complains from afar, and the three girls start to mock a crowd of fans by hooting and hollering along with their fists in the air. “Thank you!”  
  
Momo goes for a grab but is met with strong resistance as she tries to pull the bag out. The misfortune of her luggage being buried in the center is suddenly a problem she is well aware of, and there is a moment of deep respect among all of them at the thought of the previous girl who was able to do it in a singular one-arm pull. She leans in and grabs the strap of the bag with a second arm, and she pulls as hard as she can until it pops out and she falls backward onto the ground.  
  
The girls rush over, cheering and goofily calling Momo’s name while simultaneously helping her up and dusting off her clothes. Despite the extra effort, the older girl smiles to herself between the three of them, and she even accepts a kiss on the cheek from Sana and a pat on the head from Jihyo. Mina’s warm smile is more than enough, of course.  
  
“I did it,” Momo says, extra cutely and clearly very proud based off of the cheesy grin on her face.  
  
A minute or so passes, and the other three decide it is as good of a time as any to get their belongings. Finding and picking them up goes by relatively quickly, but Jihyo is suddenly visibly stressed about reaching their cabin as fast as possible.  
  
“Is something wrong?” Sana asks, puffing out air as best she can while trying to keep up with Jihyo’s abrupt speed-walking. “Why are we rushing?!”  
  
“I realized that we need to secure our bunk placements and maybe waiting too long wasn’t a great idea,” Jihyo explains, keeping herself together while the other three follow her up a small set of stairs, onto a large porch, and through a windowed door of a dark brown cabin.  
  
Sana leans against the doorway to catch her breath while observing the area around her. Wooden walls and wooden floors are sort of a given, she figures. It’s a sizable room, with four bunk beds and a single bed in the corner, and there are three sash windows and a curtained one on the front door. Two doors off to the side are what she can only assume are just two bathrooms, and there are a bunch of shelves along the same wall as them. It’s only after she takes note of the standard objects in the room that she realizes people are already in here.  
  
Before she can take a good look at any of the faces, Jihyo hooks her arm and drags her over to a bunk next to one that Momo and Mina already claimed. It’s Sana’s first time at a camp, so she takes a seat on the ladder while Jihyo expertly unpacks her luggage and already begins to adorn the bottom bunk’s mattress with sheets and personal pillows. She looks over to Momo and Mina’s bunk and is a bit relieved to see Mina standing around, clearly uncertain, while watching Momo set up her own bed on the top bunk.  
  
Mina glances her way and shares a soft smile, and Sana is glad she isn’t alone in feeling lost.  
  
She allows herself to look around at the other girls in the cabin, pleasantly surprised that most of them are already finished or almost done setting up their spots. Two shorter girls are playing cards with one another on the bottom of one of the bunks, another pair are laughing yet somehow bickering about shelf arrangements with one another, but it’s the single bed patron that piques Sana’s interest.  
  
“What’s up?” Jihyo asks, taking a moment to look up from her sheets.  
  
“Look!” Sana tilts her head toward the direction of the single bed. “It’s the girl who did that crazy bag pull!”  
  
Jihyo seems confused for a moment before a glint of acknowledgment flashes in her eyes, and she looks over toward the single bed, which is littered with plushies. Her hand flies to her mouth to cover a laugh as she turns back to Sana. She mouths, “Look at those stuffed puppies.”  
  
Sana giggles, nodding. The aura is incredibly different from before, and maybe it’s a little too adorable how the girl is laying down, eyes closed while a stuffed dog is squeezed within her arms.  
  
“Maybe she summoned the strength so that she could get the one singular bed before anyone else,” Jihyo muses. Maybe she is right, given that the girl’s bed is already set, and her bag is already underneath the bed and seemingly emptied. Aside from their own group, the only pair left that remains unfinished are the two by the shelves.  
  
“I don’t understand why we can’t save space and share a shelf.” The voice belongs to a tall girl with shorter hair than the one beside her, and although Sana might technically be eavesdropping, she feels that she can say it’s because they’re all in one room.  
  
The other whines, “Not everything needs to be super neat all the time, Jeongyeon! This is camp! Live a little! There’s dirt for crying out loud!”  
  
Jeongyeon scoffs, “You just want space for your makeup, Nayeon!”  
  
“Not just that, you jerk! Why do you always think I’m so superficial?!”  
  
“Then for what?!”  
  
Nayeon pouts. “I have a lot of lotions and facial mask stuff, okay? There’s a routine!”  
  
Sana is surprised to hear a snort from one of the shorter girls by the second bunk, and feels herself freeze when one of the two by the shelves, Nayeon, shoots a glare in the girl’s direction.  
  
“I bet you use face masks, don’t laugh!” Nayeon scowls, and the victim of her gaze nervously laughs while putting up her hands.  
  
“Sorry, you guys have just been talking about the shelves for so long that it’s kind of both ridiculous and funny,” the girl explains, and Sana admires the honest and straightforward answer. Her hair is the shortest of the cabin, befitting as she also happens to be the shortest in height, and it’s styled quite nicely that even Sana can’t help but feel a bit charmed by the look.  
  
The guffaw that suddenly erupts from Jeongyeon shocks Sana, frankly, and it manages to make Nayeon’s face just a little sourer.  
  
“Chaeyoung would love to try one of your face masks,” the second girl, on the bed with the cards, speaks up with a playful smile while patting the back of the girl beside her, presumably Chaeyoung. The shorter girl’s face flushes in embarrassment by her friend’s intervention, but Nayeon’s glower quickly morphs into a giddy, bunny-like, gummy grin.  
  
“I have plenty if you want to share later, kid!”  
  
Chaeyoung looks as though she wants to comment on the last bit, but she settles for a nodding smile in defeat. When Nayeon looks back to the shelves, however, Chaeyoung is quick to turn and glare at the girl next to her. “Why, Dahyun?”  
  
The girl, Dahyun, gives her a cheeky, toothless smile. “Sorry, Chaeng.”  
  
“You’re totally not.”  
  
“Perhaps!”  
  
“Sana, you should get your stuff set up sooner than later,” Jihyo suddenly comments, diverting Sana’s attention back to her own group. She is about to say that she wants Jihyo to finish up first, but apparently that already happened while she had been so focused on everyone else. With a quick glance, she even sees that Mina has started to set her bunk up.  
  
“Alrighty!”  


* * *

  
  
To no one’s surprise, the mandatory meeting in the mess hall at noon is merely a formality to address all the activities, arrangements, and functions of the camp. Every table is ordered by cabin, so it’s much easier for Sana to get a closer look at all of her cabin mates, and she thinks her own friends are starting to familiarize themselves with the new faces as well. However, as time moves on, the four of them find themselves twisting in their seats to face away from the other cabin girls and toward the speaker.  
  
Momo leans her head against Sana’s shoulder, who reciprocates the gesture by resting her head on the former’s.  
  
“Everyone is pretty,” Momo whispers.  
  
Sana nods. “I noticed! Do you think they’re from really far away?”  
  
“Hm,” Momo takes a moment to think. “I don’t think I recognize any of them, so maybe. If they go to our campus, then I haven’t seen them.”  
  
Sana peeks over Momo’s head to look at Mina, who is sitting beside her and quietly listening to the counselor at the podium. “Do you think Mina knows any of them?”  
  
Momo also adjusts her head so that she can see Mina and taps the girl’s leg. Mina’s eyebrows perk up as she turns to the two with a questioning hum, leaning in close so that she can hear them whisper. They, and Jihyo, are sitting on one side of the long, picnic-style table while the other five girls occupy the opposite side, so it’s easy to softly talk to one another without the other overhearing.  
  
“Do you know any of our roommates?” Momo asks quietly, and Mina steals a swift glance of the opposite bench. She ponders for a second, biting her lip in such a way that Sana can’t help but stare, before nodding her head. Momo follows up, “Who?”  
  
“I don’t know if any of them go to my university, but one of them went to my high school and was in a volunteer pet club with me.”  
  
Sana smiles at the thought. “Volunteer pet club? That sounds awesome!”  
  
“It was,” Mina grins, and Sana can only imagine that there are happy memories behind it. “I had to go with the members to local shelters to help take care of the animals. But I remember that girl was there before I graduated.”  
  
“Which one?” Jihyo asks, leaning into their conversation now.  
  
“The one with the single bed, the tall one.”  
  
Sana is surprised. “You didn’t recognize her before when she grabbed her bag?”  
  
“Huh?” Mina isn’t sure what Sana means until she observes the quiet girl from across the table again. Her eyes widen before stifling a laugh and looking back to the three. “You’re right. That was definitely her.”  
  
“Do you remember what she was like in school?” Momo asks.  
  
“Quiet, very quiet. But she loved to help with dogs. Her name is Tzuyu, I think.”  
  
The fresh memory of such a seemingly intimidating girl snuggling up to a puppy plush warms Sana’s heart, and she giggles to herself at the thought. People could be so odd, but that was something she liked about getting to know new people. She catches Mina’s gaze again, and they both smile. New people can be nice.  
  
Momo gently smacks her leg but Sana isn’t able to react in time before the speaker calls for all the cabins to work on making up a name for their houses. Every cabin had a number designated to it, with theirs being “Cabin Two,” but Sana had no idea that they would still be responsible for making up a team name of any kind. Her and her friends turn back around on their bench to face the other five girls of their cabin, whose eyes already seem to be waiting for them.  
  
There’s a long pause where no one says anything, with only the sound of a clumsily moved microphone emitting from the building’s speakers as the head counselor steps away from the podium at the front. Normally, this would be where people introduce themselves to one another, but it feels disingenuous to initiate it when someone has already eavesdropped and learned all the surrounding names. Sana puffs her cheeks and nudges Jihyo, who sighs at the cue.  
  
“Hi, everyone,” Jihyo begins, with a clap of her hands. “My name is Jihyo.”  
  
She nudges Sana back to get her to follow, “I’m Sana.”  
  
Then, next, “And I’m Momo.”  
  
“Mina,” finally.  
  
Unafraid, Jihyo beams at the others and gestures to them. “Your names?”  
  
“Hey,” Chaeyoung greets with a nod. “My name is Chaeyoung, but you can call me Chaeng if you want. I don’t really mind.”  
  
“I’m Dahyun!” Dahyun smiles, shooting the girls a V while leaning into Chaeyoung’s side. Momo returns the hand sign. “Chaeng and I are childhood friends. You four know each other, I guess?”  
  
Sana smiles. “Yeah! Jihyo and I honestly don’t know Mina too well, but we rode the bus together, so I’ve decided that we are friends now!” This doesn’t go without looking over to Mina again, who chuckles before nodding.  
  
“Awesome,” Dahyun says with a thumb up. Pointing over to the two people Sana recognizes as Jeongyeon and Nayeon, she asks, “And what about you? The ones with the shelf.”  
  
“My name is Jeongyeon,” is the reply, so quick to ignore the last comment that she almost cuts Dahyun off. “This is only the second time that I’ve been to a camp like this, but I’ve done a few sports-centered programs in the summer before. It’s always been fun.”  
  
“Yes, please make sure the first thing we know about you is that you’re a typical sporty lesbian,” Nayeon mumbles, and Jeongyeon’s face erupts into an embarrassed blush.  
  
“Why would you say that?!” The rest of the table watches in silence, though Nayeon is terrible at hiding the smug aura emanating around her seemingly innocent smile. Sana feels a laugh bubbling within her, but she resists with all of her might. Jeongyeon groans, turning toward everyone with a smug look of her own. “I’m sorry, you need to understand that she’s ill with ‘assholeitis.’”  
  
Nayeon scoffs, “First of all, I’m just putting it out in the open for all of these girls here because _none_ of them are straight,” she scans the flushed faces and averted eyes that follow before a flash of guilt drapes her features. “Sorry. Maybe that’s not true, I don’t know any of you. I just mean that there’s no need for any discomfort or feeling like we have to hide. I dealt with that for way too long and, as the oldest, I won’t let that happen to us or any of you if I can --”  
  
“How do you know you’re the oldest?” Sana interrupts, more out of surprise at the bold assumption – in fact, the bold conversation starter – than any form of offense.  
  
Jeongyeon laughs. “Any of you born in 1995 like this old hag?” When there’s no reply other than a swat on Jeongyeon’s arm, from said hag, she continues, “Didn’t think so, none of you have as many wrinkles.”  
  
“Anyway,” Nayeon clears her throat. “Secondly, last year was rough for me and Jeongyeon so I’m nipping that in the bud since you girls look like you might appreciate girls or love, and not throw a fit at the sight of me kissing my own girlfriend’s cheek.”  
  
“Did that really happen?” Jihyo asks, frowning at the idea. Sana doesn’t like it, either, but she tries to simmer down the boiling irritation at the pit of her stomach. There’s no reason for her to get worked up about it, given that she barely knows these people, but something in her feels defensive.  
  
“Yeah,” Jeongyeon sighs. “It’s inclusive here, so the girl was the one who got moved to another cabin, but it still kind of sucked. That was just the first day, so we were a bit more distant for the rest of the week in the case of another outburst.”  
  
Momo claps her hands together suddenly. “Oh! You two are dating.”  
  
Eyes immediately turn to Momo, whose proud smile over figuring it out is too endearing for anyone to make a comment about it. That is, except for Nayeon, who just laughs but reaches over to fondly pat Momo’s hands, regardless.  
  
“I didn’t realize that, either.”  
  
This is a voice that Sana doesn’t recognize. Their gazes shift to the tall girl beside Chaeyoung at the end of the table, Tzuyu. The resounding shock amongst them is silent, but Nayeon recovers in a timely fashion.  
  
“I forgot!” She smiles, pushing a friendlier demeanor. “My name is Nayeon, by the way. Can’t believe I didn’t even introduce myself. I haven’t heard you talk yet, what’s your name?”  
  
“Tzuyu.” Her eyes travel along each side of the bench, somehow looking at everyone yet simultaneously avoiding any serious eye contact before fixing her gaze onto Nayeon. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just the ‘old hag’ comment that threw me off.”  
  
Chaeyoung, yet again, is the first to break and snort at the conversation but, this time, both Nayeon and Jeongyeon join in on the ensuing laughter.  
  
“Jeongyeon just loves me too much to admit it. She likes to give me attention in the only way she knows how! By being a sassy jerk.” Nayeon sticks her tongue out, and the two loop their arms together.  
  
“It’s hard to resist when you’re so annoying,” Jeongyeon retorts, averting her eyes with a smile that betrays those very words.  
  
Dahyun abruptly waggles her brows in such a way that Sana bursts out laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it. “So, Jeongyeon. Were you the type who had crushes on your teachers? Since you’re into older women and all.”  
  
The glare that Jeongyeon throws in Dahyun’s direction doesn’t last very long when she suddenly mumbles, “Only one time.”  
  
The laughter is a nice surprise that Sana had hoped for, but still didn’t fully expect. The limited time that they all had at the cabin beforehand didn’t do much to make her feel that they would be compatible, but she’s beginning to feel relieved and much more at ease.  
  
“So, the name thing?” Jihyo mentions, reigning everyone back into the initial purpose of the discussion. “We’re going to have to call our cabin something.”  
  
“Do we want a specific category?” Mina asks. “We could do animals, story figures, colors, or really anything that you guys are okay with.”  
  
Sana pouts. “I don’t know why we need a cheesy name when we have a cabin number already. You know some groups are going to pick ‘Princesses’ or something.”  
  
“In that case,” Nayeon smirks, “I think ‘Queens’ would be perfect.”  
  
Chaeyoung grimaces. “Absolutely not, thank you.”  
  
“Let’s pick a food,” Momo suggests.  
  
Sana leans into Momo, giggling. “You’d just say pig’s feet!”  
  
“Yeah.” Momo tries her best to look annoyed, but she is unable to keep herself from laughing along. Unwilling to back down, she raises an eyebrow through the amusement, “And?”  
  
Jihyo gasps, then beams suddenly as if hit by an epiphany. “Let’s be Thor’s cabin.”  
  
Nayeon rolls her eyes and mumbles something about Thor herding lesbians before Jeongyeon shakes her head and says, “How about Thanos’s instead?”  
  
“Isn’t he bad?” Tzuyu asks, perplexed and visibly disappointed by the suggestion. The combination of her soft voice with an expression that could almost be mistaken for a side-eye is all too funny. Dahyun pinches her nose, and Chaeyoung doesn’t bother to hide her look of distaste. In fact, none of them do.  
  
Jeongyeon remains unfazed. “Yeah, but he’s the handsome one.”  
  
“Sweetie,” Nayeon says softly, gently stroking Jeongyeon’s arm.  
  
Jeongyeon meets her eyes. “Yeah?”  
  
“Don’t talk,” it is said with a somewhat pitying nod, and Jeongyeon just rolls her eyes.  
  
“Come on, does it have to be that Marvel stuff?” Sana whines, ignoring Jeongyeon’s overly earnest bad taste. “I don’t care about any of that. Why not something cool, like Harry Potter?”  
  
Mina smiles at that. “I like Harry Potter. Hermione is my favorite.”  
  
Instinct calls for Sana to make some kind of comment like, _Of course she is_ , but she becomes too enveloped by the sudden desire to marathon the series with a cute, totally nonspecific girl.  
  
Chaeyoung practically chokes, interrupting Sana from her fantasy. “You want us to call ourselves the Hermiones?”  
  
“No, no!” Mina blushes, waving her hands with an embarrassed laugh. “I was just saying my favorite character.”  
  
Dahyun’s mumble does not go unheard, “Better than Thanos.”  
  
“Hey!” Jeongyeon swats the smaller girl’s shoulder. “Any better idea?”  
  
“Cougar cabin, for you.” It earns Dahyun another smack from Jeongyeon.  
  
“How about Strawberry? Momo recommended food,” Chaeyoung mentions, much to Momo’s pleasant surprise, eliciting a smile and finger gun from the older girl from across the table. A few of the girls hum, not exactly opposed.  
  
Nayeon shrugs. “It is cute.”  
  
“We could be the ‘Cuties’ if you wanna’ be true to ourselves.” Sana winks, unbothered by the mixture of groans and breathless chuckles.  
  
“Nevermind, no thanks!” Chaeyoung shakes her head. “Cute concept is off the table.”  
  
“How about we let the youngest choose?” Jihyo, the reliable, strikes again. “Who’s the youngest?”  
  
The girls talk amongst themselves, sharing their birth years and birth months. It doesn’t take too long to figure out that, amongst the youngest girls, Tzuyu is the baby of the group. Just a girl full of surprises, apparently, although Mina seems to be the least shocked, of course.  
  
It’s evident that Tzuyu doesn’t want to be put on the spot, between never giving a suggestion in the first place and the defeated expression on her face at the conclusion that she is, in fact, the youngest. But she doesn’t stray from the responsibility, and she takes a minute to think about it while the girls watch her contemplate with her eyes closed.  
  
Tzuyu opens her eyes and calmly puts forth “Twice” as her choice. The confused expressions that greet her don’t deter her, though she seems visibly shyer at having to elaborate. “It’s like Sana said, the cabin already has a number on it, so it’s relevant to that. It’s simple enough and will probably be unique from typical names that other cabins might use. We’re only here for five days, so our cabin name doesn’t have to mean anything special.”  
  
There’s a beat that passes before Chaeyoung grins. “I like it.”  
  
Tzuyu offers the shorter girl a small smile, and it isn’t long before the others are agreeing and beaming at her, too. For the first time since Sana has seen Tzuyu, the latter is finally starting to look her age. The tiny, proud, and satisfied smile on her face is cute enough to pinch.  


* * *

  
After cabin names are registered amongst assigned counselors and lunch is served, the girls make their way outside of the building and are told that they have a half hour to rest before reporting to their first official camp activities.  
  
Sana wraps her arms around Jihyo’s side, watching as the girl takes out the schedule guide. There are so many things to do that she wonders if five days is even enough to try everything.  
  
“We can pick from any of the options?” Tzuyu asks, easily leaning over Jihyo’s shoulder to join her in rereading the camper’s pamphlet.  
  
“Am I the only one who brings mine with me?” Jihyo teases, adjusting her neck and the paper in her hand to make it easier to read for all three of them. She explains, “We can pick any of the options for this specific time slot coming up. They have some in categories, though. So, when we go in a bit, we need to pick an athletic activity.” Both Sana and Tzuyu nod, prompting Jihyo to continue, “But certain things are mandatory. For example, every cabin has a hike they take with their counselors, but it depends on what day. Since we’re the second cabin, we go tomorrow on day two.”  
  
“Are they going to make us run?” Sana pouts.  
  
Jihyo pats Sana’s head. “Probably not for hiking, but you might get tired.”  
  
“They have a small dance studio, right?”  
  
Jihyo nods. “Yeah, it’s connected to the theatre hall.”  
  
“I might do that then since Momo will probably go there, and I don’t want to do any running.”  
  
“That’s okay! I think I might try and get to know the younger ones better,” Jihyo says with a smirk, her timing impeccable as Chaeyoung and Dahyun stumble by just in time for her to squeeze them and Tzuyu between her arms. Sana smiles at the sight, and chuckles at the defeated expressions across the three girls.  
  
“If it makes you more comfortable, you can go with Nayeon and Jeongyeon.” The offer from Tzuyu is courteous, but Jihyo laughs.  
  
“And be a third wheel? No way.”  
  
Chaeyoung raises an eyebrow as she hears the two bickering in the distance. “Maybe they need a third wheel. Every kind of fighting ring needs a referee.”  
  
“Have any of you been to camp before?” Jihyo asks, only to receive three shaking heads. “And that’s exactly why I’m making sure to stick with you three, at least for today. Assuming you don’t mind, I mean.”  
  
Dahyun continues shaking her head. “Not at all.”  
  
Sana gives the four girls a wave as they begin to head toward the direction of one of the courts, and further away she can barely see Nayeon and Jeongyeon’s shapes. It is then that she realizes that she never really took a minute to look around the camp, though whether that was due to not paying attention or being rushed by Jihyo’s jog to the cabin earlier, she isn’t too sure.  
  
The place is impressively massive in scope and has the biggest list of activities that she’s ever seen. Of course, she’s never been to camp before but compared to movies or shows, she’s almost sure that this location is somehow more fictional. Camp JYP is normally for a younger crowd, but they have a couple of select single-week offers for college-age students who either want to relive their adventurous youths or who have never had the chance to experience camp life before. The counselors are less strict but are clearly middle-aged since it would be weird to have college-age counselors for college students. Alcohol isn’t encouraged due to the stereotypical nature of university students, so it isn’t served but also isn’t rigorously enforced. Any strictness is mainly for the season when the younger kids come.  
  
It’s a huge clear area surrounded by a thick forest and distant mountains, with plenty of fields and buildings littering the area between the trees and bodies of water, which includes both a river and a lake. It’s a little intimidating, but the anticipation of all the opportunities leaves her rocking back and forth on her heels. If she has a good time in the next few days, she will consider coming back. The camp is primarily for full-season attendees, so she wouldn’t mind returning one day in order to try everything.  
  
“Hey.”  
  
She turns on her heels toward the voice and smiles when she notices Mina approaching her. She finds herself bouncing in place as the giddiness starts to well up inside of her.  
  
“This camp is so big, Mina!”  
  
That elicits a wide smile, which makes Sana’s bigger. “Just noticed, huh?”  
  
“I don’t think I paid attention when we were running to the cabin. I was too busy trying not to trip,” Sana laughs, in spite of herself, but she’s delighted when a soft giggle comes from Mina. She’s been wondering about that, actually. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”  
  
Mina blinks, surprised. “Sure, yeah.”  
  
“You sure like to laugh, huh?” Sana asks with a grin, trying to lay it on thick that it is, in no way, an insult. It isn’t as though Mina laughs incessantly. In fact, the girl is often quiet and usually dons a thoughtful, observant, or mentally distracted expression. In all of these instances, Sana finds Mina incredibly cute, if not absolutely gorgeous. But Sana hasn’t failed to notice the way that Mina is often unable to contain a nervous or shy chuckle, at the very least, when interacting with others. There is a small part of her that is scared that this is a sign of unease, almost like a coping mechanism, so the urge to ask about it has been at the back of her head.  
  
“Oh,” Mina stifles a laugh, suddenly overly-aware. “Yeah, it’s a habit.”  
  
“Is there a reason why?”  
  
“No idea. I’ve been told that I laugh at almost anything, honestly, but I know that I do it even when I’m just trying to explain something, sometimes. My dad thinks it’s because I’m still not completely used to speaking confidently. But I promise that I also just have an easy sense of humor or, at least, I like to think so.”  
  
“Oh, so like an anxious thing?” The thought is interesting, but Sana hopes it isn’t due to something traumatic. She truly likes that habit of hers, so long as there isn’t a negative branch to why it exists.  
  
Mina grins, apparently amused by the thought. “Maybe! Could be nervousness or something. But it’s almost subconscious at this point, I think. I didn’t realize I was doing it until you just mentioned it.” There’s a flash of worry across her face. “Is it okay?”  
  
“Of course!” The fact that Sana could have implied otherwise, for even a second, pushes her to give Mina a sudden hug without hesitating or thinking. There is a chill along her spine at the realization that she may have intruded the girl’s space without the presence of someone she’s more familiar with, but the feel of Mina’s arms gently reciprocating permeates through Sana’s fear. She tries not to smile too hard. “I actually think it’s so cute!”  
  
“Really?” Mina’s voice is soft, and Sana pulls away to see Mina looking up at her with a pink hue blooming across her cheeks. An instinctive urge tugs at Sana when she registers the close proximity, but she takes a step back and opts for a wink.  
  
“Really, really! Would I lie?” She sticks out her tongue, gently biting it.  
  
“I don’t know you well enough to answer that,” Mina laughs, but confusion washes over her expression when Momo suddenly walks by with her arms crossed. “Did something happen in the bathroom?”  
  
Momo shakes her head. “It was fine; clean actually.” She eyes Mina at full length, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. “But you almost never hug me! And you’re already hugging my best friend who you’ve just met today! What’s that about?! Where are mine?!” It causes Mina to bite her lip in an effort not to laugh, but Sana’s expression switches to incredulous.  
  
“Oh, so when I hug you all the time, it isn’t okay. But when your friend wants to hug me, it’s suddenly something you want?” Sana puts her hands on her hips, looking her friend up and down, who is only giving her the familiar side-eye. “Hirai, you better tell me if you have a problem with me!”  
  
Momo sticks out her tongue. “There’s a difference between too many and too little!”  
  
“Too bad, then!” Sana smirks, pouncing onto Momo and wrapping her arms around her tightly. The groan she hears is one that she knows all too well; a fake one that means Momo is happy to receive the affection. Sana turns her head toward Mina. “I’m sorry for my easily jealous friend here. You should probably join in before she complains again.”  
  
Mina fails to bite back a small grin and is happy to oblige, joining in on their group hug.  
  
It feels right, Sana thinks.  
  
“There’s a dance studio, Momo,” Sana mumbles against her head.  
  
“I know, I was thinking about doing that for the athletic slot. It counts for both athletic and art,” Momo says, untangling herself slowly from the girls’ arms. She looks to Mina. “You want do that with me? You like ballet, right?”  
  
The information is new to Sana, whose interest is immediately piqued. “Ballet?”  
  
“I studied it for a long time while growing up, but I haven’t been rigorous about it for the past couple of years,” Mina answers, shyly, “so it’s not as good as it could be. But I still like it.”  
  
“Well, it’s either that or contact sports.” Momo chuckles. Mina rolls her eyes, and that’s the only necessary answer before Momo starts heading toward the theatre hall.  
  
“Hey, I’m coming, too!” Sana yelps, realizing that a solid ten feet has wedged its way between her and the other two girls. She catches up to them, getting between them and wrapping her arms around the two at her sides. She softly giggles to herself as she tightly holds Momo and Mina, and neither of them seem bothered by the slightly awkward walking.  
  
Just right.  


* * *

  
“She’s awesome, yeah?” Sana beams, leaning toward Mina to whisper as they both sit against the wall and watch while Momo freestyles in front of the mirror to a song on the room’s speaker. This is something that she knows her best friend is passionate about, and it is almost like a superpower. Sana got into dancing because of Momo in the first place, through sheer influence but also maybe some friendly peer pressure. If anyone asks, Sana will give Momo the credit and answer with the former option.  
  
Sana thinks she, herself, dances completely fine, and even understands Momo’s preference for it as a therapeutic practice, but this will always and completely be Momo’s thing in her eyes. And she couldn’t be prouder, or happier that her buddy could have such a strong outlet to rely on when times get tough. As silly as her friend could be, there is nothing else in the world that she could be more serious about.  
  
Even Mina is in awe, watching in admiration. “I’m surprised she had trouble with swimming if she was this good with her body.”  
  
Sana purses her lips so that she doesn’t involuntarily laugh at the wording. “Right?”  
  
“You know how to swim?”  
  
“Yep! I’m fantastic at the doggy paddle,” Sana grins, imitating the swimming maneuver in a way that makes Mina smile. “Why, did you want to teach me, too?” She winks, feeling satisfied when Mina goes to tuck her hair behind her ear while bashfully shaking her head with a smile she’s clearly trying to suppress.  
  
“Hey, are you going to join me or what?” Momo asks, suddenly still despite a heaving chest.  
  
Although enjoying her conversation with Mina, Sana hops up and waddles over to the spot next to Momo, who gives her a small smile of gratitude. With a small remote, Momo quickly shuffles through a few more songs until finding one that she and Sana have both danced to in the past.  
  
“Want to join us, Mina?” Momo asks, turning to her friend against the wall. “I can try and teach you the choreo since it’s pretty simple. We have to do the athletic slot for a while, so I think it’ll be enough time to teach you.”  
  
Mina pauses before ultimately nodding and getting herself up. The process isn’t too difficult, and Momo is a patient teacher even if she isn’t the best at explaining every part. But she puts things simply enough that they’re easy to catch onto, and Sana offers helpful examples when needed. It becomes clear that Mina is good at picking up on the choreography, and Sana is sure that it’s due to years of her own dance training, even if it was ballet.  
  
It goes on like that for a while, and they inevitably put the pieces into place when lining themselves up to the start of the song. Momo is the center, but Sana can’t help but sneak peeks at Mina in the mirror from the other end. The girl is clearly focused and prepared, and Sana smiles to herself just as the first bits of the choreo begin.  
  
The dance isn’t difficult, but Sana’s eyes begin to stray yet again when the slightly sultrier parts of the choreography come into play. She’s so accustomed to the song that she doesn’t need to focus too hard, but she worries that her heart will throw her off beat when she watches Mina do a body roll. Her gaze escapes, suddenly fearful that Momo might catch her ill-hidden attempt to stare at Mina, and she makes sure to continue monitoring herself exclusively.  
  
Time flies, and a few freestyled songs pass before Momo stops to take a seat. “Alright, it’s time for ballet.”  
  
Mina’s brow rises and asks, almost breathlessly, “What?”  
  
“You heard me,” Momo teases, relaxing her head against the wall. “I’ve never seen it and I really want to, so please show us!” She pats the spot beside her, and Sana hastily accepts the invitation.  
  
Mina puffs her cheeks, but they deflate when she sees that Momo is being serious. She sighs, accepting defeat, and surfs through the song options until she finds something more toward her preferred tempo.  
  
Sana feels the excitement course through her as she watches Mina get into position, and she wraps an arm around Momo’s as though squeezing her will somehow help her let out some of the anticipation. Momo doesn’t resist or pull away, of course. And maybe Sana doesn’t know much about ballet, or its terminology, but she yells out supportive “ooh”s and “ahh”s with every bend, skip, jump, and turn. Catching a glimpse of a resistant smile in the mirror helps to keep her going with the noise, and Momo joins in on the hooting and hollering, too.  
  
When the song fades out, Mina immediately turns to the two and shakes her head at their exuberant faces. “It was alright…”  
  
Sana and Momo both jump up, making sure to argue with her that it was great, amazing, beautiful, spectacular, and a bunch of other positive adjectives that continue to redden Mina’s face while the two envelop her in a proud hug.  
  
“It was just a couple of pliés, arabesques, and pirouettes,” Mina mumbles shyly.  
  
Sana pats the girl’s head. “Aw, Mina! I don’t even know what any of those words mean! You’re so cool!”  


* * *

  
“What’s a cabin activity?” Sana and Momo ask simultaneously.  
  
Mina, thankfully carrying a pamphlet of her own, furrows her brow. “Um… I think it’s a time slot where we have to do one of the listed options as a full cabin? But we didn’t plan that beforehand, so I don’t know how we’re going to do that.”  
  
“Should we try looking for them? We didn’t exchange numbers,” Sana mumbles, not fully invested in her suggestion and moreso focused on figuring out what they could do from the list.  
  
“Even if we did, the service is wonky.” Momo shrugs. “Couldn’t even guarantee a text to go through.”  
  
Almost as if on cue, the door to their studio opens and the three turn to watch in surprise as Jihyo and the rest of Twice walk into the room.  
  
Sana’s eyes light up, running over to Jihyo with her arms wide open. “Jihyo, my hero! I knew you would save us!”  
  
“Well,” Jihyo laughs, happily embracing Sana when they collide, “I knew where you were, and both Nayeon and Jeongyeon were close to our court so I figured we’d just come over and get you guys.”  
  
A heaving Dahyun has her hands on her knees, “Sana… why didn’t you tell us that Jihyo was good at tennis?”  
  
Sana blinks, turning her head to Dahyun. “How was I supposed to know you’d be playing tennis?” She pauses, Dahyun’s words fully sinking in, and she looks back to Jihyo with a proud smile. “Wait, you’re good at tennis?”  
  
Jihyo’s smile is a bit smug, but she just shrugs in response.  
  
“I didn’t mind,” Tzuyu mumbles, softly, with a smile that doesn’t stray from mischief.  
  
Chaeyoung scrunches her face. “Of course you didn’t, you were on her team!”  
  
“Hey, maybe Tzuyu was my secret weapon!” Jihyo retorted, and the youngest seems very pleased with the praise. Dahyun and Chaeyoung just lean on one another for physical support, clearly feeling their losses.  
  
“Losing sucks,” Dahyun breathes out, almost coughing. Chaeyoung just pats her on the back.  
  
Momo nods to Jeongyeon and Nayeon. “What did you two do?”  
  
Jeongyeon smirks. “What I did was kick Nayeon’s ass in mini-golf.”  
  
“You say that as if you weren’t cheating!” Nayeon grumbles, despite resting her head on Jeongyeon’s shoulder.  
  
“Me?” Jeongyeon gapes in mock offense. “Cheat? I’ve been faithful to you for two years now, how dare you imply that?”  
  
Nayeon rolls her eyes. “You kept distracting me, I mean.”  
  
“Pbfft, I’m sorry my mere presence is such a distraction.”  
  
“God personally spat on me by making you hot.”  
  
Their back-and-forth continues, despite their conflicting body language of constant touching, but Sana finds it really funny. A part of her wants to ask if they’re actually dating or if it’s an extremely elaborate ploy, yet somehow the way they know exactly how to pick at one another is enough to assure her that it’s legitimate. They’re very cute, she thinks.  
  
“What do you guys want to do together?” Sana asks, still pressing her cheek against Jihyo’s shoulder.  
  
“They have a zip line. That could be cool,” Chaeyoung suggests, but is shaken and wide-eyed at the abrupt sound of a screech from Momo.  
  
“No,” Momo says simply after her brief outburst, averting her gaze when everyone looks at her after the utter shock of the sound.  
  
Sana giggles, “Momo is scared of many things, heights included. Maybe you can do that on the side sometime during a different time slot.”  
  
Dahyun, who had frozen up at the suggestion in the first place, suddenly thaws and smacks Chaeyoung’s arm. “You know I hate heights, too, Chaeng!”  
  
“You’d do it if everyone else did it!”  
  
“That’s not the point, just don’t suggest it!” Dahyun whines, and Chaeyoung makes a disgusted face at the sound before moving away from Dahyun and, instead, gravitating near Tzuyu.  
  
“It’s okay, I understand you,” Momo says softly, walking over and wrapping her arms around Dahyun. The latter is surprised by the gesture, given it’s from someone she had only met earlier in the day, but she accepts it for what it is and allows Momo to rest her chin on her shoulder.  
  
“Thank you, my one true friend,” Dahyun whimpers, exaggerating the sadness in her voice and faking tear-wiping, but Chaeyoung only rolls her eyes.  
  
“Why don’t we try archery?” Mina offers, and the lack of an immediate rejection or screech is enough to help her share a small smile with the group, who seem to nod along and agree without saying much.  
  
“Maybe if I shoot Jeongyeon in the heart, she’ll finally appreciate me,” Nayeon mumbles, nonchalantly checking her nails.  
  
Jeongyeon gapes. “That’s not how cupid works! I’d die!”  
  
Nayeon shrugs. “Exactly. How many things have I wanted to do that you said would only happen over your dead body?” The smirk that follows leaves Jeongyeon with a blush and no comeback, forced to accept defeat as Nayeon squeezes her hand with a satisfied, cheeky smile.  
  
“Archery it is, then.” Jihyo chuckles, keeping an arm around Sana’s shoulders so that they can walk out together with the rest of the group in tow. The act of reigning things back into relevancy is, by no means, complicated, but Sana can’t help but feel grateful that Jihyo is there to do it.  


* * *

  
Sana yells, “Good luck, Dahyun!”  
  
“I’m going to rock this!” Dahyun licks her lips in determination, nocking an arrow and lifting the bow.  
  
“Did you forget your contacts?!” Chaeyoung calls out from the sideline, absentmindedly picking at some dandelions on the ground.  
  
“Nope!” Dahyun confirms and glances over, only to lower the bow. “Are you not gonna’ watch, Chaeng?”  
  
Chaeyoung’s gaze flickers up, making eye contact. “You didn’t shoot yet.”  
  
“I’m about to! Pay attention.” Dahyun smirks, giving the girl a thumb up, which is returned with a wink from the other. Dahyun looks at the rest of her roommates, seemingly content with the attentive looks on their faces, and she grins when Sana gives another cheer. She lifts the bow again, closing an eye and pulling back on the bowstring.  
  
“This is kind of intense, right?” Sana asks, leaning toward Mina from the side.  
  
“Yeah, I’m kind of nervous for some reason,” Mina chuckles. “She seems confident.”  
  
Sana grins. “Confidence is good! I sure as hell don’t know how to shoot an arrow.”  
  
“Neither do I,” Mina says, suddenly very focused as Dahyun releases her grip on the bowstring.  
  
The arrow flies through the air, stealing everyone’s attention until Sana notices the disappointed frown that settles on Dahyun’s face when the target is pierced, before it reverts back to a calm expression. It isn’t an awful shot, with the arrow resting comfortably in the red zone, but the archer didn’t seem happy with the result. The girls clap, though Sana is unsure if any of them noticed the flash of dismay, as Dahyun turns to bow toward the group.  
  
“That’s so close, Dahyun!” Sana thinks quickly, bouncing over to give the girl a hug. “How long have you been doing archery?”  
  
Dahyun returns the hug, and Sana notices the slight squeeze. “I’m no student or anything. It could’ve been better.”  
  
Sana pulls back and shows Dahyun a determined fist, whispering in a faux-heroic voice, “I’ll avenge you.” She doesn’t watch the hero movies too much, but she hopes it’s close enough.  
  
“What?” Dahyun’s eyes are very expressive, Sana notes from close-up, and the way they dart around when confused is endearing. But she remembers that she doesn’t like the idea of a slight frown that pulls at the younger girl’s lips.  
  
“Is it okay if I go next?” Sana turns, yelling to the others.  
  
No one fights for the spot, and Sana makes sure to pat Dahyun’s head before replacing her at the marked spot. There are multiple targets along the archery range, but there are other cabins sharing the activity, so they can only use one lane. Taking turns is okay, though, since that means Sana can stand around while waiting and relax without feeling pressured to anything. But she’ll make this an exception.  
  
Sana puffs her cheeks as she tries to figure out how to set up the bow, but it only takes a moment for her to understand how nocking the arrow works. Her heels rock back and forth a bit, happy with figuring it out. Feeling proud of herself, she raises the bow and stares down the center of the lane and toward the target. This is something she has never done before, and it’s a little exciting.  
  
“Hey, it was a good shot. And it’s no big deal, dude. It’s a fun game,” Sana overhears Chaeyoung say, and she can only slightly make out the distressed sound effects of Dahyun. Dahyun sounds a little more lighthearted now, especially since the moment has passed, but the memory flashes before Sana’s eyes again. God, it really did bother her, didn’t it?  
  
Biting the inside of her cheek, Sana deliberates her options for a moment. Even if she genuinely tries her best, there is no guarantee that she would even make a good shot, let alone a bullseye. So, would it be so bad to fake the shot? A part of her argues that Dahyun might be the type to be frustrated that someone would sabotage their aim for her sake, but another part of her assures that there would be no way to know. Sana doesn’t care enough about archery to insist on doing it again, and she had never done it in the past for Momo or Jihyo to seem surprised at a potentially bad shot.  
  
Suddenly self-conscious that she’s taking too long, Sana abruptly adjusts her bow away from her initial position and releases the bowstring. It takes her a moment to register that her arrow lands toward the outer edge of the blue circle, but then she reminds herself that someone else needs to be cheered up.  
  
“Wow!” She yells, putting a hand over her brow as though it would help her see the result better. “I was even further! Dahyun, how did you get so close? This isn’t easy at all!” Her whine is played up, but it’s not so unlike her that it would be suspicious, as she runs over and wraps her arms around Dahyun again. “I let you down! I couldn’t avenge you! You didn’t warn me that it would be that hard.”  
  
Dahyun chuckles, rubbing Sana’s back. “It’s okay, it takes a lot of practice! I don’t get to do it that often – only at fairs or carnivals – so I’m super rusty. You did your best! It was your first time, right? The first time I ever shot one, I didn’t even hit the target!”  
  
Sana grins at that, satisfied with the effect. “You’re too cool for me, Dahyun.”  
  
It's while she’s ruffling Dahyun’s hair that Sana catches Mina looking at her with an unreadable expression, but it quickly turns into a tiny, knowing smile when she notices Sana’s gaze.  
  
The rest of the girls take their turns and it’s both funny and interesting to observe the different stances amongst the girls. Nayeon looks like she’s trying too hard to figure out a perfect pose that makes her look like an action star, Jeongyeon becomes insanely focused but comes off anxious, Jihyo is stiff out of paranoia over slouching affecting her aim, both Momo and Chaeyoung are practically blasé or indifferent, and Mina manages to look like a swan somehow. Sana realizes that Dahyun must have either been very hard on herself or everyone just happens to suck at archery, because no one gets any closer to the bullseye than the first arrow. That is, until Tzuyu steps up.  
  
Sana watches as the girl flips her hair over her shoulder, her posture straighter than Sana has seen on any living person; certainly straighter than Sana in general. Her movements are fluid but careful. Tzuyu isn’t rushing, but she isn’t moving too slowly, either. There is a strange aura of calm that emanates from the girl, and Sana debates whether she admires loud confidence or silent confidence more. Maybe they’re the same.  
  
Tzuyu nocks the arrow and lifts the bow, making sure to inhale deeply while pulling back on the bowstring. An unfairly smooth and cool flip of the hair for clear sights. A second that manages to feel like a minute passes, and Tzuyu exhales with her bow.  
  
“Holy shit!” Nayeon cries out, immediately clapping when the arrow lands half an inch from the bullseye. Tzuyu gently puts the bow down before walking back to the awestruck Twice girls.  
  
“That was a fantastic shot, Tzuyu,” Mina says, clearly impressed.  
  
Tzuyu bows her head a bit, blushing. “Thank you.”  
  
Momo snickers, wrapping her arms around Tzuyu from behind. “Be proud! Don’t act like it wasn’t amazing!”  
  
“More like incredible!” Sana sees Tzuyu’s pursed lips as a sign that she’s ready to crack, and Sana joins in to sandwich the tall girl between her and Momo. “Who needs Robin Hood when I have you around? And you’re so much prettier, too!”  
  
A hint of a smile makes its way onto Tzuyu’s face.  
  
“I’m so proud to call you my star pupil,” Dahyun says with a mischievous grin, and it’s enough to break Tzuyu and get her to laugh.  
  
“Your shot was really good, too,” she comments, awkwardly meeting Dahyun’s hand in a high-five after wiggling her appendage free from the arms around her. Tzuyu averts her eyes but can’t control her smile when she admits, “I feel really good about it.”  
  
Sana pulls Dahyun into their hug around Tzuyu, and it isn’t long before the others join in for a group hug. The first day isn’t even over, yet Sana can’t help but feel happy at the warmth she feels in these girls’ arms.  


* * *

  
It’s not a surprise when Momo is the first to start sprinting at the sound of the dinner bell over the intercoms, but Sana enjoys the view of Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu following closely behind at an almost identical speed.  
  
“That could be me,” Nayeon feigns a snivel from beside her, watching as the four run off to the mess hall.  
  
Sana giggles. “Too tired to chase after them?”  
  
“No,” Nayeon chuckles. She lifts her opposite hand, wrapped in Jeongyeon’s, for Sana to see. “I’m currently a hostage, you know.” But there’s absolutely no hostility or malice in her tone; merely soft amusement.  
  
Sana rolls her eyes, but her smile doesn’t fade. They’re all bark and no bite, she decides.  
  
Jeongyeon notices. “You want this kidnapper to get to the rendezvous spot faster?”  
  
“Did you really just say ‘rendezvous,’ Jeongyeon? This is a kidnapping, not espionage,” Nayeon laughs, swatting at her girlfriend’s arm. Sana is beginning to think Nayeon just has a habit of hitting people when she reacts to things, and that it isn’t always necessarily an intentionally mean thing. Maybe it’s out of fondness.  
  
“I couldn’t afford a van, sorry,” Jeongyeon smirks, playing along, but her eyes widen suddenly. “If you’re my hostage, does this mean I can finally shut you up with a gag or something?”  
  
Nayeon snorts. “We share a room with others, let’s not get too kinky.”  
  
Jeongyeon flushes and groans, facepalming with her free hand. “That isn’t what I meant! This is why you need a muzzle.”  
  
Nayeon cackles to herself evilly. She sneaks a swift kiss on Jeongyeon’s cheek, and the latter allows a soft smile to pull subtly at the corners of her mouth.  
  
Sana wishes that she could somehow give them the gift of alone time, but even if she were to try and go on ahead, there would be too many campers pouring into the hall at the same time to really help them feel any sense of solitude. Still, she’s glad to get a preview of their more playful affections, even if it’s often at one’s expense.  
  
By the time they get inside and find their table, Momo and her loyal, hungry followers have already gathered their food. It is deeply unsettling, given that the rest of them could not have been so far behind to warrant the four already scarfing down their food, but Sana doesn’t press about the logistics. Even Jihyo merely accepts it, lightheartedly rubbing the top of Momo’s giddy head on her way towards the buffet.  
  
There is an array of food in every category of the food pyramid, and Sana immediately goes for any meat with a promising amount of spice. At the back of her mind, she can already imagine Momo coming back for seconds when she sees that there is a lot of chicken left, although she isn’t entirely sure if that’s allowed.  
  
“Can I ask you a question?”  
  
Sana’s brow raises in surprise when she turns her head and notices Mina standing beside her with her own tray. It seems standard, rice with meat and veggies from what Sana can tell.  
  
“Sure,” she answers, briefly scanning around to see if any of the others are close enough. She doesn’t know why she does it.  
  
There is a playful glint in Mina’s eye. “You messed your shot up on purpose, right?”  
  
“Oh,” Sana is caught off-guard. It isn’t that she believes she is a perfect actress by any means, but the lack of a remark by Jihyo or Momo made her feel as though it had gone unnoticed. The observation is interesting, and she wonders what she could’ve possibly done to give something away. The memory of Mina’s expression when Sana had been hugging Dahyun returns to her, however, and suddenly it doesn’t seem so surprising. She giggles in spite of herself. “Maybe.”  
  
“And here I thought you were so friendly to me because of Momo, but I see that you just warm up to everyone in a day, huh?” Mina asks, teasing. It always throws Sana off balance, because Mina just goes from quiet introvert to playful cutie while managing to think it’s okay. It’s absolutely not okay. Some people have weak hearts that can’t handle it.  
  
Sana pouts. “She looked so sad, didn’t you see? It had nothing to do with warming up or not! Besides, I’ve never done it before, so I don’t think it would’ve been much better even if I was trying. I just wanted to make sure I assured a worse shot. How did you know?”  
  
“It just felt like you were taking longer than you needed to, and then I figured a potential reason was that you did it on purpose to make her feel better. And I was right.” Mina smiles. “That was sweet of you.”  
  
Sana feels her cheeks heat up, but she tries to be funny to brush it off. “It turns out I didn’t even need to do it. We all sucked!” She gapes, her voice a bit louder than it has to be, “Only Dahyun and Tzuyu were any good.”  
  
“They really were!” Mina agrees, laughing at the blunt callout. “I thought it was fun, though, even if I didn’t do well.”  
  
“Well,” Sana nudges her and winks cheekily, “I can certainly say you looked good doing it.”  
  
A blush and a swat on Sana’s arm is Mina’s only response before they both head back in comfortable silence, although Sana feels like she might burst into a giggle fit at any second. Any physical contact from Mina is like a sweet surprise, but Sana still isn’t entirely sure what might be okay from her end.  
  
They are the last to return, but it isn’t long before the flow of the dinner conversation takes heed, and Sana is happy with the friendliness of everyone. She isn’t sure if it’s normal to feel such fondness for one’s cabin mates so early on, but she considers herself blessed, regardless. The difference between the last time they were at the table versus now is jarring, though maybe some things never change, like Momo eating blissfully and being completely engrossed in her meal while keeping an arm linked with Jihyo’s.  
  
It’s nice to see Jihyo talking to Nayeon and Jeongyeon so easily, Sana realizes, as it had always been a worry that maybe Sana and Momo’s longer friendship would leave her feeling left out at any given moment. Of course, Sana tries to prevent Jihyo from even potentially feeling that way as much as she can, but there is still something relieving and heartwarming about seeing her laugh and converse so freely with the two older girls, as well as knowing she got to spend time with the younger ones as well.  
  
Dahyun is interesting, Sana thinks. This is a fairly simple thought, but one that has been on Sana’s mind since the archery range. Beforehand, Sana genuinely thought the girl was just goofy and lighthearted, but the expression she had upon seeing where her arrow landed still pulls at the back of Sana’s head. The disappointment was genuine, and it makes her wonder if Dahyun is simply very competitive or if there is more to her than Sana will probably ever know in only five days.  
  
Her gaze softens when she watches Dahyun tease Momo by pretending to steal the girl’s jokbal from across the table, and Sana briefly considers asking Chaeyoung about Dahyun later before ultimately deciding that she doesn’t want to be too intrusive.  
  
Chaeyoung seems to have taken an interest in Tzuyu, Sana observes. It’s almost funny, really, the way that their height difference often has the former having to look up when talking. Something about it feels natural, somehow, because Sana can’t help but think that the girl’s snaggletooth grin is even more endearing when looking up. From what Sana can hear, they mostly seem to be talking about simple subjects, like learning about one another’s favorite hobbies or what their favorite food on their tray is and why. It isn’t anything too complicated, yet Tzuyu looks as though she is always carefully choosing her words, a soft yet shy smile sometimes present as though she’s self-conscious that what she’s saying may not be the right way to articulate her message. But she seems incredibly attentive.  
  
Nayeon and Jeongyeon have felt like a package deal since they arrived, so Sana isn’t entirely sure what they’re like on an individual level. She remembers Jeongyeon’s preference for organizational efficiency from earlier in the day, and something about the way Nayeon is unafraid to say certain things strikes Sana as a strong sense of confidence. They both enjoy teasing, mostly amongst themselves but toward others as well. But their softer moments are Sana’s favorites, and she can’t help but bite back a smile when she sees them feeding each other casually from time to time while talking.  
  
A part of her feels like some kind of silent observer, and she realizes that maybe nothing about herself has changed much aside from a growing warmth toward her bunkmates. Momo and Mina don’t feel particularly different, either, but maybe it’s only because the three of them had spent some of the day at the studio rather than taking the time to be with the newer people. Plus, it’s only been a day. Sitting between the two of them now, she feels comfortable, and that’s the important thing.  
  
“Are you okay? You’re zoning out,” Momo whispers, suddenly, stirring Sana out of her thoughts.  
  
She hums. “I was just thinking.”  
  
“About?”  
  
“You,” Sana quips, accompanied by a wink.  
  
Momo rolls her eyes, nudging Sana with her shoulder. “Is something wrong?”  
  
“Nope!” And it’s honest, really, but Momo eyes her suspiciously.  
  
“You’d tell me, right?”  
  
“Of course!” Sana can’t resist the warm smile that stretches across her face, and she gives Momo a hug from the side. “I’m just thinking about the day so far.”  
  
“Ah, okay. Just make sure you eat, because you haven’t touched your food.”  
  
So that’s what alerted Momo, Sana registers. A part of her wants to laugh and say that it isn’t shocking that something food-related was what made her worried, but deep down she knows that Momo would have asked no matter what. Feeling the usual love for her friend, she picks up a piece of her chicken and offers it to Momo, who happily accepts without hesitation.  
  
“Mina!” Nayeon blurts out suddenly, looking over to the spot beside Sana.  
  
“Yes?” Mina replies, mildly surprised while picking up rice.  
  
“Are you a cat or dog person?” The question is sudden enough that Sana almost snorts, and she realizes that she hasn’t been paying attention to the general table conversation whatsoever.  
  
Mina grins, suddenly very vibrant. “I have a dog, actually!”  
  
Tzuyu’s attention is immediately pulled away from Chaeyoung, and she asks with an interested grin, “What kind?”  
  
“A Dachshund,” Mina proudly states, chin only subtly higher. “He’s older, though.”  
  
“Damn!” Jeongyeon is shocked. “I really thought you were a cat person!”  
  
Mina chuckles. “I get that a lot.”  
  
“You owe me five bucks, babe,” Nayeon snickers, proudly bobbing her head in victory over whatever faux bet that Sana most definitely did not pay attention to. Nayeon grins before continuing, “Dachshunds are so cute! Big dogs make me a little nervous sometimes, but I really do love dogs, especially the small ones. I have one, myself.”  
  
The table somehow gets louder, much to Sana’s amusement despite the fact that she has no pet to contribute in the conversation. Names and breeds just fly out of the girls’ mouths while Sana and Jihyo share a sympathetic look with one another. They both love dogs, too, but they don’t own any. They’re more than familiar with Momo’s dogs, of course, but it’s a little overwhelming when arms are leaning across the table to share saved photos of individual pets. Sana contains herself from yelling too loudly when she compliments particular pictures. And by particular, she means every single one because every exchanged picture of everyone’s pets is insanely adorable.  
  
It’s definitely the liveliest that Sana has seen of Mina, she notes while watching the latter gleefully go through provided photos. Her eyes light up when talking about her dog, Ray, and how much she misses him even after only a day. They hang out in the same room whenever she’s playing video games, which is another fact that Sana finds to be an unpredictable surprise. Apparently, whenever Mina and her family would go on vacation, she would always come back and spend as much time with Ray as possible to make up for the days they lost being together. The shy smile and random bouts of self-conscious chortles while Mina talks about her dog are sweet, and the other dog owners at the table seem more than empathetic.  
  
“I’ve been telling Sana to get a Shiba Inu for some time now,” Jihyo comments.  
  
“Why that breed?” Chaeyoung asks, curious.  
  
Momo laughs, gesturing to Sana’s face. “Doesn’t it suit her perfectly?”  
  
Sana rolls her eyes but starts to giggle when she tries to imitate a panting dog. She’s surprised by the gentle pat on her head from Mina, who’s also laughing.  
  
“I can see it,” she says, and Sana feigns a gasp.  
  
“Wow, so none of you see me as a human being?” The held-back grins and stifled laughs as Sana scans everyone’s faces is enough for her to mock sobbing. “I’ve put my life on the line for each and every one of you, and this is what I get?! I see how it is.”  
  
“You’re probably the type that gets people to do stuff for you when you don’t want to!” Jeongyeon snorts, pointing a finger at Sana shamelessly.  
  
Momo bursts into laughter. “Spot on!”  
  
It doesn’t bother her at all, but Sana continues to play up the whining and the mock offense as the girls joke about her being a weasel. Maybe they’re not exactly wrong, but it’s not like Sana has to admit it.  
  
While the other girls laugh and move onto other topics, Sana’s head swivels toward Mina when she feels a light tap on her shoulder.  
  
“For what it’s worth,” Mina grins, clearly stifling a soft laugh, “I thought it fit you since you’re cute.”  
  
Sana wonders if the heat against her cheeks is too obvious. “Really?”  
  
That wide, gummy smile should be illegal.  
  
“Really, really.”  
  


* * *

  
“Is it bad that I just want to go back and stay in bed?” Mina mumbles, mostly to herself but it’s loud enough to be noticed.  
  
“Technically you can go back now if you want. But there’s going to be a celebratory first night bonfire,” Jihyo says, wrapping a supportive arm around Mina’s shoulders.  
  
“Please come!” Sana says, her arm linked with Momo’s. “I’ve never been to a bonfire before! It should be a shared experience.”  
  
Momo presses her cheek against Sana’s, teasing and drawling, “You just don’t want to be alone.”  
  
“And what of it?” Sana whines, stretching her neck to move her head away from Momo’s face without having to necessarily let go of Momo’s arm.  
  
“You should come, Mina,” Chaeyoung says, walking up to the girl’s free side and lifting her wrist in mock determination. The gesture makes Mina giggle, and she closes her fist to play along with the faux resolve.  
  
“They have a bonfire every night,” Nayeon mentions, “so you can skip the other nights if you want. But come to the first one.”  
  
Jeongyeon snickers. “What Nayeon says, goes. Don’t you know?” She nods to Mina. “But yeah, come.”  
  
“Plus, there’s going to be s’mores.” The comment from Dahyun is not without waggling eyebrows. “You wouldn’t want to miss that, would you?”  
  
“Wow, guys. You really want me to be there, I get it. Didn’t realize I was so irresistible,” Mina boldly jokes, earning the hearty laughter that follows from the rest of the girls, but her shy smile easily slips back. “I’ll come, though.”  
  
They jokingly let out a few “woo”s in response as they approach a huge bonfire out on the lake’s shore. The temperature begins to rise as they come nearer, and the orange glow gently kisses their features as they take their seats amongst the many other campers surrounding the fire. Jihyo sits beside Nayeon and Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung takes a seat next to Mina, and Dahyun rests comfortably beside Tzuyu. Their conversations feel too far for Sana to absorb anything, though. The crackling of the flames is louder than Sana has ever experienced from a fireplace, and the embers amidst the wood are stunning in an almost glittery kind of way.  
  
A few of the counselors walk around, offering the campers the ingredients to make s’mores, and Sana excitedly jabs a stick into a marshmallow. She feels proud of herself as she leans toward the fire, and Momo scoots closer to do the same.  
  
“Sana.”  
  
“Yes, dearest?”  
  
“Do you feel something for Mina?” Despite the distracting sounds around them, Momo’s whisper is perfectly clear. There is a pause, one that Momo tries to fill, “I just want to know so that I can help you get alone time or something – wingman style.”  
  
Sana can hear the smirk in Momo’s words, and she hits her friend on the shoulder. “Shut up.”  
  
“But really. Do you?” The question is genuine, and memories of their years at school together pour into the silence for but a moment. They’ve always enjoyed teasing one another, but they are still best friends through and through. Momo would be hurt if Sana kept a secret like that, especially if it was about her other friend.  
  
A quick glance toward Mina, and she is happily chatting with Chaeyoung. The firelit glow suits her, Sana decides, and she is disappointed at the idea that she might skip the nighttime campfires in the upcoming days.  
  
Sana hums, turning the marshmallow. “Yeah, I think so. But I’m not in love with her or anything, you know. It’s nothing deep,” Sana says, before pausing to laugh at herself. She’s kidding no one by pretending that catching feelings in less than twenty-four hours isn’t already deep. But she knows it’s not right to claim that, not now. “At least, not yet. She’s just super pretty and I really like how soft and timid she seems until she just, like, says something out of literally nowhere and suddenly she has this almost playful side, too. And did I mention she’s pretty?”  
  
“Wow, all that in one day,” Momo scoffs. “That’s impressive, even for you.”  
  
Sana is filled with an urge to hit Momo with the marshmallow as she pulls it away from the flames, but that might burn. “I’m surprised you don’t have feelings for her or anything after working with her for some time now. And swimming lessons!”  
  
There is a laugh, and Sana can tell that Momo has absolutely nothing to hide. “I have you, Jihyo, and Mina. I’m already the luckiest girl alive.” The words are playful, but there is a trace of sincerity that turns Sana’s head to Momo with puppy-dog eyes. The latter rolls her eyes. “Ew, nevermind.”  
  
“Momo~” Sana drawls out, leaning against her best friend and rubbing her cheek on her shoulder affectionately. “I love you so much!”  
  
“Yeah, yeah.” Momo smirks, pressing a kiss to the top of Sana’s head before leaning her head against hers. “Me too, buddy.”  
  
Sana purses her lips but is unable to resist. “Wow, you love yourself so much? I didn’t know you were so conceited.”  
  
Momo groans. “You ruined the moment.”  
  
“Your marshmallow is what’s going to be ruined if you don’t stop burning it, darling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this was alright. Again, I've never really tried doing an entire group in a singular fic before, so I'm earnestly trying to do some semblance of justice! Maybe! Who knows? Also, the activities and general things to do at this camp (including a nine-person cabin, funny enough) are based on a mixture of real camps, just in case anything sounds unrealistic lol.
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you have any comments, feel free to share them! If you're like me and are too anxious to ever leave comments on fics, regardless of whether or not you love them, then don't worry about it! #Relatable!
> 
> You can find me over at @heartshooketh on Twitter, if you want!


	3. Maybe (Day Two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is heavily inspired by Sixpence None The Richer's song "Kiss Me," though mainly for the porch scene. But the summery vibe applies to this whole story, I feel like.

It isn’t a camp alarm or the sound of birds that wakes Sana up on the second day. Instead, it is a shrill scream that almost has her falling off the top bunk.  
  
Alerted into an upright position, her eyes dart around the cabin and it’s easy to see that the others are also awake and breathing heavily from the shock of the sound. There’s another scream from the same source, not identical in severity but still a scary shriek to hear first thing in the morning. Sana blinks and leans over the edge of her bunk, and notices that Jihyo isn’t in bed. Suddenly, the fear is overwhelming.  
  
“Jihyo!” She yells, hopping down from her bunk and running toward the source of the sound, the bathroom. She doesn’t register the hesitant “Wait”s that cry out from behind her, and it’s not until she’s already two feet into the bathroom that she realizes that she should have knocked.  
  
“Sana!” Jihyo yells, quickly twisting the shower curtain around her bare form, which is an endeavor that may or may not be too late at this point. “Close the door behind –,” she begins to say, before yelping and jumping out of the shower, pulling the curtain with her.  
  
Sana shakes her head, collecting herself and closing the door. “What’s wrong?”  
  
Jihyo whimpers and shuffles over to Sana in a hurry, landing in the girl’s arms. “Bug.”  
  
“Bug?”  
  
“Centipede,” Jihyo shuts her eyes, her body shivering at the word.  
  
There’s a couple of knocks at the door, along with Jeongyeon’s, “Is everything okay?”  
  
“No!” Jihyo immediately answers, but Sana pats her head.  
  
“Jihyo hates bugs. I think there’s one in the shower?” Sana replies, uncertain of the location until Jihyo nods her head against her shoulder.  
  
“What kind?!” Chaeyoung yells, curious.  
  
“A centipede!” There are more than a few cries of disgust from behind the door.  
  
Sana doesn’t like bugs any more than the average person, but a part of her is morbidly curious to see what it looks like. In truth, she doesn’t remember the last time she had seen a centipede. That is, assuming she’s ever seen one up close at all.  
  
“Come out!” Momo says, “Let Jihyo use the other bathroom and we can get the bug.”  
  
It’s not a bad idea. Sana grabs the towel from the bar and wraps it around Jihyo, taking away the curtain. She starts giggling to herself, suddenly, at the ridiculousness of the situation.  
  
Jihyo raises an eyebrow, taking a guess. “Is it funny that you saw me naked?”  
  
“No,” Sana teases. “It wouldn’t be the first time, after all.”  
  
“Ha… Ha,” Jihyo rolls her eyes, tucking the corner of her towel in so that it stays wrapped around her form. Sana is, of course, joking with the implication. The last time she saw Jihyo naked, it was simply because she accidentally walked in on her changing during a sleepover.  
  
They exit the bathroom, with Jihyo giving everyone a brief wave before jumping into the other bathroom and closing the door behind her.  
  
Dahyun clears her throat once Jihyo is out of sight. “We’ve assigned two soldiers to this case.”  
  
“Soldiers? To a case?” Mina asks.  
  
“Don’t you mean ‘investigators,’ ‘officers,’ or something like that?” Sana asks, amused.  
  
“Hm,” Dahyun hums, rubbing her chin. “Yes. Yes, that is what I mean. Well, more like hitmen. It’s too early to critique my roleplay, okay? But the point is, we’ve got the perfect duo for the job.”  
  
“And who would they be?” Sana indulges.  
  
Nayeon and Chaeyoung rush over from their separate bunks, donning white air masks and holding a broom and a pair of shoes, respectively. The visual is very goofy, especially when both girls are wearing colorful pajama shorts and pajama tanks with graphic designs and words on them including, but not limited to, puppies and pineapples, and maybe the words “bubble babe” on a certain someone’s rear end.  
  
“I don’t see how this makes sense,” Tzuyu comments.  
  
“Chaeng and I will straight up kill this bitch!” Nayeon says confidently, hitting her own chest for effect, though the muffled volume through the mask takes some of the power away. Nonetheless, she uses both hands to enthusiastically pump the broom in the air. “No one messes with Jihyo!”  
  
Tzuyu turns to Chaeyoung, an eyebrow raised. “I thought you liked critters?”  
  
“Centipedes are barely bugs, let alone critters!” Dahyun cuts in, as though shocked by Tzuyu’s hesitance. “They’re practically evil alien snakes, with legs!” The alien comment is enough for Tzuyu to roll her eyes and go back to her bed, as well as Momo.  
  
Chaeyoung’s response is delayed but still directed to Tzuyu, “And it attacked Jihyo.”  
  
The two warriors file into the quarantine, closing the door behind them and stuffing paper against the bottom of the door to prevent all matters of escape. Sana presses her ear against the door, beckoning for Dahyun and Mina to join her as the bug battlers start a ruckus almost as soon as they had arrived. Jeongyeon leans against the wall, arms folded, with a look that has Sana thinking that she almost expects something bad to happen.  
  
It is evident that things are falling and clattering onto the tiled ground on the inside, and suddenly there is a scream from behind the door.  
  
“Ah, yes,” Jeongyeon lets out a breathless laugh. “That would be my girlfriend.”  
  
Sana smirks at her, looking her up and down while cocking an eyebrow. “You would know the sound, I’m sure.”  
  
Jeongyeon looks like she might step over and give Sana a piece of her mind, but the sudden sound of what is clearly a tumbling person stirs her from malicious intent.  
  
“Are you okay?!” Jeongyeon yells, joining the rest in pressing her ear to the door.  
  
“Nayeon fe—” Chaeyoung begins to reply, before both girls suddenly starting shrieking.  
  
Mina’s brow furrows. “They’re really having trouble over one bug.”  
  
“You want to go in?” Dahyun retorts, teasing, and Mina quickly shakes her head.  
  
“It’s on my goddamned back! Chaeng, kill it!”  
  
“But then I’d hurt you, I’m not going –”  
  
“Oh my god, kick me if you have to! Just get this thing off me!” Nayeon yells desperately, her voice shaking despite the volume.  
  
There are a few smacks, thuds, and maybe a couple of yelps before the door slowly opens halfway in the wake of sudden silence. A mirthless smile rests on Chaeyoung’s face as she walks out with a tissue in one fist, the pair of shoes in the other, and her mask pulled down to her neck. Through the opening, Sana can barely make out toiletries strewn across the floor, shower curtain and broom included, and a seemingly defeated Nayeon with beads of sweat and a flushed, exhausted face. It’s very dramatic.  
  
“I’m going to shower,” she says, and no one has the heart to say anything when she closes the door. Even Jeongyeon says nothing, staring wide-eyed and puzzled like everyone else lined outside the bathroom.  
  
“Did you get it?” Momo asks from her bed, looking over to Chaeyoung as she throws the tissue into the garbage. The rest turn to the conversation, stepping away from the bathroom door and toward the information.  
  
Chaeyoung nods solemnly. “He’s dead.”  
  
“What’s wrong with Nayeon?” Mina asks, though she’s not the only one with that question in mind.  
  
“Well, she fell down for starters.” Suddenly Chaeyoung’s livelihood returns, and she begins to chuckle for whatever reason, as though a memory came back to her. “Unfortunately, when I killed the bug – as per her request by the way – it got messy, so she just wants to clean it off.”  
  
Dahyun scoffs. “You can’t clean the blood off your hands from a _murder_ , Chaeng.”  
  
“You didn’t have to kill it,” Tzuyu reminds them from the side of the room, nose in a book.  
  
Jihyo steps out of the second bathroom, hair wrapped in a towel and wearing a t-shirt over some shorts. Sana feels kind of guilty for already almost forgetting that this mess had started with Jihyo’s wild encounter in the first place, having been so absorbed in the antics of Nayeon and Chaeyoung.  
  
“Wait, what time is it?” Sana asks, now aware that she has no idea when Jihyo initially woke her up. The rest of Twice exchange confused looks amongst themselves, apparently none of them sure, and it’s just as Momo takes out her phone that the camp’s morning alarm blares through the local intercom.  
  
“7:30am,” they groan in unison.

* * *

  
“And it doesn’t explain why we need to be wearing swimsuits?” Sana inquires, feeling unenthused by the idea of a hike. The girls had already gone out for breakfast and were told at the table to make sure to put on swimsuits underneath their clothes.  
  
Tzuyu shakes her head, pamphlet in hand. “It just says that we will be enjoying a nature walk.”  
  
“They really think they can rope you in by giving ‘hike’ a prettier name, huh?” Dahyun mumbles, and Sana is happy that someone gets it. She leans on the younger girl as they walk, the two of them mocking whining and whimpering on the way to the designated forest path.  
  
Momo eyes the two. “Don’t encourage her, Dahyun. I have to deal with it enough at home, and this is supposed to be a getaway.”  
  
Sana scoffs, lifting her head off of Dahyun and snapping to Momo. “This isn’t a resort!”  
  
“Didn’t you invite her?” Mina adds, contributing to Sana’s defenses and, perhaps, giddiness.  
  
“It wasn’t just me!” Momo huffs, “Jihyo was the one who came up with the idea to begin with!”  
  
Sana presses the back of her wrists to her hips, bending her knees now and again while shaking her butt in Momo’s direction, all the while singing, “You love me! You love me! You love me!”  
  
“Alright, enough of that,” Jihyo laughs, giving Sana’s bum a light smack as they arrive at a large archway just outside the forest entrance. There are two counselors waiting for them, who quickly give a rundown of the hiking itinerary before asking the girls if they are ready. Their response is loud, albeit a bit hesitant, and they step through the archway and into the unknown.

* * *

  
It isn’t long before Sana can hardly see the entrance anymore from behind.  
  
“Are you worried?” Mina asks, lagging behind a bit so that Sana, who has been overly concerned with the distance they’ve trekked, can catch up.  
  
“Huh?” Sana blinks, not really registering the question.  
  
Mina repeats, curiously, “Are you nervous about getting lost?”  
  
“Nope!”  
  
“Then why do you keep looking back?”  
  
Sana presses a finger to her own cheek, a bit embarrassed. “I can’t stop thinking about how much we’ll have to walk back. I need to conserve my energy!”  
  
“I’ve noticed that you keep talking about not wanting to run.”  
  
“Good, because I don’t want to!”  
  
Mina chuckles, “Do you get tired easily?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Sana mumbles, in a babyish way. “I’m in good shape, I kind of just don’t want to.”  
  
“Understandable,” Mina says, and Sana is thankful for the lack of judgment.  
  
They are a couple of feet behind the rest of their cabin, but neither of them mind moseying their way forward. She vaguely hears the words “mud” and “cabins” from the rest of Twice and the counselors, but she can’t make any sense of it from this distance.  
  
Mina chuckles, suddenly, before talking again, “I personally like to rest in bed as much as possible.”  
  
Sana smiles, a bit surprised. “Is that why you wanted to skip the bonfire?”  
  
“Yeah, but my s’more made it worth it.”  
  
“Is there a reason why you like to lay down so much?”  
  
Mina shrugs, her hands folding behind her back as they walk. “It’s just comforting, I think. Sleeping is a plus.”  
  
“Ah, I have trouble sleeping,” Sana admits.  
  
“Really? Do you get nightmares?”  
  
“Not really. I just end up staying up really late, but it happens without me realizing a lot of the time.”  
  
Mina frowns. “Did you sleep last night?”  
  
“Well,” Sana sticks out her tongue. “I got four hours’ worth, I think. It’s hard to tell because of the bug thing.”  
  
“You should sleep more.”  
  
“It’s not like I want to stay up so late,” Sana whines.  
  
There’s a brief pause. “Do you have trouble sleeping alone?”  
  
Sana can’t help but feel as though there is something hanging in the air, dangling off those words. It’s hard, because suddenly Mina is unreadable both in tone and expression, to tell what is tangible and what is a conjuration of Sana’s optimistic imagination. It would be quite the jump for Sana to assume that this means what her mind is racing to think it means, so she settles for remaining present in the conversation.  
  
She answers, “I’ve never thought about it being an issue with sleeping alone, now that you mention it. Do you mean with people in the room in general or do you mean in the same bed?”  
  
“The latter,” Mina clarifies. “If being in the same room helped, then you probably would get more sleep since you’re in a cabin with multiple people.”  
  
“Right, right. Then I wouldn’t know. Why, are you offering?”  
  
Sana makes sure to lace the tease with a mischievous tone, and the result is more than satisfactory. Ears red, eyes slightly wide, a piece of hair tucked back, and a clearing of the throat. Admittedly, Sana wants to blush at the sight, herself, but that would potentially make things awkward if she suddenly acts too serious. But then Mina decides to be slightly bolder.  
  
“I wasn’t. But I’ll think about it.”  
  
There’s something in Sana that feels like it short-circuits, and it doesn’t really help when Mina quietly decides to lean against her as they follow behind the rest of Twice. The movement is slow, nervous, and maybe a little awkward, but Sana doesn’t resist and eventually Mina’s stiff shoulders seem to relax.  
  
“I-Is this okay?” Mina asks, suddenly, without meeting Sana’s gaze. “You do this with others, so I thought maybe this wouldn’t bother you.”  
  
“Of course it’s okay,” Sana answers, maybe a bit too quickly, and tries to reassure the notion by leaning her head on top of Mina’s in return. Thankfully, it’s a very Sana thing to do so hopefully no one will notice or make any embarrassing comments about it.  
  
A part of her itches to hold Mina’s hand but, despite it being something she’d easily do with most of her close friends, she doesn’t want to spoil the gesture. She wants it to feel special.  
  
“I don’t get to do this often, you know,” Mina whispers, looking down at the ground.  
  
Sana isn’t sure what exactly she’s referring to. “Do what?”  
  
“Be touchy with people, I mean.”  
  
“Why not?” Sana asks, frowning at the words.  
  
Mina hums, which Sana realizes is a pretty sound. “I don’t mind if people initiate it with me, but I have trouble starting it. I think that people aren’t sure if I’m okay to approach with that sort of thing, since I’m quiet a lot of the time; which is more than reasonable.”  
  
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure if I could be as handsy with you as I am with Jihyo or Momo,” Sana admits. “I think I’ve been more physical with some of the others, too. I’m sorry if it came off in any kind of negative or isolating way.”  
  
“It’s okay.” Mina makes sure to clarify, “I’m just speaking generally. Momo hugs me when she sees me at work, but it’s usually her that comes to me. She didn’t do it much when we first met, but she eventually understood me a little better. You hugged me yesterday and it was fine, so I just felt like making sure you knew that it’s okay to continue to be like that. But only if you want to, obviously.”  
  
Sana smiles, rubbing her cheek against the top of Mina’s head. “Well, now I know! Although, fair warning, I might never let go.”  
  
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Mina mumbles, quiet enough that Sana almost misses it.  
  
She doesn’t respond, just in case Mina had intended for the words to go unheard. And it’s okay, really, because walking in silence is very comfortable for the both of them, Sana thinks. The notion that Mina would push herself to show her that it’s okay to be closer is enough to give Sana a new kind of energy. The sounds of cicadas buzz against her eardrums, and a part of her is beginning to think that the hike isn’t such a terrible or even tiring thing, after all. Leaning against a cute girl is the kind of battery that Sana needs. She has to forcibly remind herself of this to get through every minor hill or obstacle along the way, though.  
  
The counselors at the head of the trek blow a whistle before turning to the girls, and both Sana and Mina finally catch up after an amount of time that Sana can’t quite figure out.  
  
“Through these trees, we will be arriving at a swimming hole. This is where we will be for the afternoon, and we will enjoy lunch there as well before returning for dinner,” the counselors explain, and the swimsuits suddenly make a lot of sense. The girls seem excited at the prospect, but Sana is too focused on Mina’s warmth to really piece together what anyone in the group is babbling about.

* * *

  
The swimming hole is prettier than expected. A waterfall cascades down along dark rocks and into a sizable, clear pool, with a small shore of sand off to the side and a leaning tree with three rope swings dangling over the water. There is a large boulder jutting out over the water from nearby, and Sana can only imagine people use it to dive into the water, too.  
  
To Sana’s dismay, Mina straightens up with a smile. “This looks great!”  
  
“Definitely,” Sana agrees, shedding the lingering disappointment in order to appreciate the surprise. The excitement inevitably catches up to her, and she starts bouncing more and more as she and Mina approach the sand alongside the rest of the girls. The counselors are gracious enough to spread out some large towels, and Sana takes the opportunity to stretch.  
  
Sitting up, she removes her t-shirt as well as her denim shorts and smiles to herself when the sun kisses her exposed skin. She is donning a black, lacy bikini set that she considers her favorite, mostly because she loves lace in general.  
  
“That’s a really pretty bikini,” Mina comments, and Sana suddenly feels self-conscious. Looking over, there is a bashfulness to Mina’s expression, but her eyes seem genuinely serious about appreciating the set. “I don’t see many lace bikinis.”  
  
Sana beams. “Thank you! I actually really like lace,” there is a sudden blush on Mina’s face that Sana doesn’t understand, “so this is one of my favorite pieces for the beach.”  
  
“That’s nice! I only brought a solid one with a matching pair of swims shorts. Yours is seriously pretty, though.”  
  
Sana is about to make a joke about whether or not Mina wants to take her bikini for herself but, before she can convince herself that it’s an absolutely horrible decision, she finds herself quietly staring as Mina takes the opportunity to remove her own clothes.  
  
She wasn’t lying about having a simple red bikini top and matching swim shorts, but Sana shamelessly soaks in the girl’s skin while the other isn’t looking. Unsure whether it’s the sun or the rush of her heartbeat, she ignores the heat on her face and composes herself just in time to meet Mina’s shy smile with her own.  
  
“It still looks cute on you,” Sana compliments.  
  
“Thank you,” Mina mouths, just as a familiar voice approaches.  
  
“Hey,” Jihyo greets, walking over with Momo and kneeling beside Sana with a bottle in hand. “Come on, we’re going to do sunscreen now before we forget.”  
  
“You, too, Mina. Then you can do mine,” Momo smiles. She shakes the bottle while lowering herself to kneel beside Mina, who flips onto her stomach and closes her eyes. Sana briefly makes eye contact with Momo, who points down at Mina’s back with a question lingering in her gaze. An educated guess, based on years of experience and obviously natural telepathy, has Sana feeling confident that Momo is offering the chance for Sana to apply the sunscreen onto Mina.  
  
Sana shakes her head and flips onto her own stomach before closing her eyes. It’s almost cute that Momo would imply that getting to put sunscreen on Mina would be some kind of adrenaline rush. She’s not some kind of horny teenager, after all. Although, when the idea of rubbing her hands relatively near Mina’s thighs gets into her head, she bites her lip and curses her own brief hubris.  
  
But she prefers to focus on Jihyo, whose hands have always been a comfort. Momo is the better masseuse, but Jihyo’s firm palms are always warmly welcomed against Sana’s back.  
  
“I think that’s enough,” Jihyo determines after minute or so. “Will you help me with mine?”  
  
The request feels silly to Sana because, duh, but she makes sure to grin and excitedly pat the towel once she sits up. She repeats the process on Jihyo relatively quickly, and both take the time to chat while applying the lotion to their fronts.

* * *

  
“Sana!” Chaeyoung shouts, briskly walking in their direction. There is an excitement in her smile, cheeks high and mouth slightly gaped.  
  
Sana dramatically crosses her legs back and forth multiple times, eliciting a giggle from the shorter girl, before answering, “Yes?”  
  
“Come swing with Tzuyu and I!”  
  
“Ooh! Okay!” Sana grins, jumping up from the towel, but something clicks, like something is missing. “Why isn’t Dahyun joining you two?”  
  
Chaeyoung scratches her chin. “The rope swing makes her nervous.”  
  
“As long as she’s still having fun,” Sana mumbles, looking over and watching as Dahyun and Tzuyu splash each other in the water.  
  
Chaeyoung grabs Sana’s hand and pulls her toward the swinging tree, calling for Tzuyu to come out and join them as they pass.  
  
“I’ve never used a rope swing before,” Tzuyu comments once she catches up, and Sana can hear a hint of eagerness. She turns and grins at the smile on Tzuyu’s face as she talks, and Sana can’t help but poke the girl’s cheek. The younger girl rolls her eyes at Sana, but her lips don’t straighten from their positive curve.  
  
“It’s fun!” Chaeyoung assures, grabbing the nearest rope. Tzuyu goes for the middle, leaving Sana with the one furthest away from the trunk of the tree.  
  
It’s then that Sana picks up on a bit of commotion, and it isn’t long before she finds Nayeon and Jeongyeon pulling Dahyun toward the jutting boulder on the other side of the swimming hole from where they had entered. The younger girl’s face is contorted in discomfort, although Sana can tell that it is clearly joking, despite the distance. Jeongyeon seems to be the most amused, with Nayeon working hard to argue with Dahyun over whatever it is that they’re talking about. It’s hard to distinguish exact words, but Nayeon’s volume, Jeongyeon’s loud laughter, and Dahyun’s exaggerated whimpering are enough to catch anyone’s attention.  
  
“Hey!” Nayeon shouts from across the pool, pointing a finger at a slightly startled Chaeyoung, “Let’s jump at the same time!”  
  
Chaeyoung responds with a thumb up, and the girls all stand at the ready. Mina, Momo, and Jihyo have already walked into the water, and are leisurely floating around while waiting for the others to join them.  
  
Jihyo takes the liberty of yelling the countdown from below. “3, 2, 1 –“  
  
Nayeon and Jeongyeon begin to run forward toward the end of the rock platform, Dahyun between them and gripping desperately onto their hands. Sana’s hold on the rope tightens as she, Tzuyu, and Chaeyoung also begin to run toward the edge.  
  
“— Jump!”  
  
With squeals and shrieks of delight alike, six girls find themselves soaring through the air. It’s a fleeting moment of flight, but there is a momentary feeling of shame at the idea that there is no camera around for a picture. Between the crystal-clear water and the waterfall backdrop, it would have made a great photo, Sana thinks, or even a cool painting.  
  
She wonders, for a moment, what she would be doing right now if she hadn’t agreed to come to camp in the first place. She’d be lonely without Jihyo and Momo, of course, but for whatever reason it’s scarier to imagine what she’d be missing out on rather than who she’d be missing.  
  
The water suddenly engulfs her, the surface tension greeting her with a slap when her body enters the pool. There is a part of her that regrets not checking the temperature first, because she suddenly feels very cold, but she doesn’t fail to holler when she rises and pops her head out of the water.  
  
“Whoa!” She exclaims, mostly to herself, before pushing her hair out of her face and mumbling, “That was refreshing.”  
  
Chaeyoung surfaces, mouth gaping happily. “Wow!”  
  
The rest of the leapers appear from underneath, shaking their heads or letting out small cries of adrenaline. Even Dahyun manages to suppress whatever fear gnawed at her from the high jump, and she doesn’t hesitate to start goofing around with Tzuyu and Chaeyoung in the water. Watching Tzuyu easily dunk Dahyun and Chaeyoung whenever they try to splash her is wildly amusing.  
  
“Please?” Sana hears Nayeon whine, and she turns to watch as Nayeon wraps her arms around Jeongyeon’s neck from behind.  
  
“You’re too heavy,” Jeongyeon snickers, faking heavy breaths, although she makes no attempt at moving away.  
  
Nayeon huffs. “You always have to put on a show! We are literally dating, so can’t you be a troll when I’m _not_ around?”  
  
“Sounds hard. I’m not so sure,” Jeongyeon says, pretending to reflect on the suggestion by pressing a finger to her chin.  
  
“You’re always so annoying to me,” Nayeon rolls her eyes, taking it upon herself to hoist her legs up and wrap them around her girlfriend’s body underwater.  
  
Jeongyeon turns her head and gives Nayeon a quick kiss. “It’s ‘cause you’re my number one.”  
  
The soft words automatically summon a goofy smile onto Nayeon’s face, her eyes squinting happily while she presses a kiss on Jeongyeon’s shoulder in return. It’s hard for Sana not to smile at the display, especially when Jeongyeon starts swimming around while continuing to carry her girlfriend on her back. They go off on their own for a bit to another end of the pool, but Sana figures that they just want to talk amongst themselves; or make-out. Both seem likely in Sana’s head.  
  
When she turns back to the others, she’s surprised to find some of the girls getting into some kind of formation.  
  
“What’s happening?” Sana asks, drifting a bit closer to Jihyo and Mina. Chaeyoung is sitting on Tzuyu’s shoulders, and Dahyun is adjusting herself similarly on top of Momo.  
  
“It’s finally time,” Dahyun says, deepening her voice for dramatic effect. “I, Tofu, will finally be taking down my arch-nemesis… the Strawberry Princess.”  
  
“Where did those names come from?” Mina asks quietly, in an effort to not disturb Dahyun from her monologue, though Sana and Jihyo can only offer a shrug.  
  
“And when I claim my victory,” Dahyun continues with a clenched fist, “I will eat all of the snacks in her suitcase!”  
  
Chaeyoung points a finger at Dahyun, gasping in faux shock, “You wouldn’t dare!”  
  
Tzuyu and Momo don’t seem to care much for the dialogue, barely looking amused while they wait for the two to finish their roleplay and start the game.  
  
“Just go, already!” Jihyo complains, despite a smile.  
  
Realizing Dahyun didn’t give her a legitimate answer, Sana tries again, “What are they doing?”  
  
“They’re trying to see who will topple the other first,” Mina says.  
  
Finally, Chaeyoung and Dahyun grab at one another’s arms and shoulders. Their constant tilting and swinging seems to shock both Momo and Tzuyu, who struggle to keep their riders balanced as well as trying not to fall over on their own. It’s more amusing than Sana expected, but it could just be because the vigor of Chaeyoung and Dahyun trying to knock one another down looks so hilariously sincere. They’re giggling and exclaiming random noises and calls as they wrestle, and it inevitably infects Tzuyu and Momo with the desire to laugh and join in on the competitiveness. Eventually, though, someone has to lose.  
  
Nayeon and Jeongyeon return just in time to watch Chaeyoung and Tzuyu stumble and fall into the water, splashing everyone. The girlfriends, and the rest of the audience, laugh and clap as Dahyun flexes her muscles on top of Momo, who imitates the gesture. Sana wishes they were wearing matching sunglasses; it would look funnier.  
  
“I knew I chose a winner!” Dahyun grins, drumming Mom’s head gently, who smiles at the praise.  
  
Chaeyoung and Tzuyu rise to the surface, pushing their hair out of their faces before smiling at one another.  
  
Tzuyu’s lips curve sheepishly. “I’m sorry we didn’t win.”  
  
“It’s just for fun,” Chaeyoung laughs, putting a hand on Tzuyu’s shoulder. “Besides, they may have won but you and I are still so much cooler.”  
  
It's hard for Tzuyu to keep her grin from widening. “Definitely.”  
  
“By the way,” Jeongyeon starts, grabbing everyone’s attention, “That tournament we’re doing tomorrow is going to be super dirty and a bit hard, just a warning. Nayeon and I did it last year when we came here.”  
  
Nayeon leans against her girlfriend, pouting at the memory. “It would’ve been better if those two girls hadn’t been trying so hard to not try at all!”  
  
Jihyo smiles. “We’ll do our best to make it up to your past selves.”  
  
“You’re the only girl I trust, Jihyo,” Nayeon winks in the girl’s direction, much to Jihyo’s amusement.  
  
“Tournament?” Sana finally asks, confused. When looking to her side, she can see that Mina is, too.  
  
“I don’t think you were paying attention to the counselors during the hike portion,” Jihyo says to Sana, with a swift glance toward Mina before looking her friend in the eyes again. “There is a tournament tomorrow; a mud run.”  
  
Sana is incredulous. “I missed that?”  
  
“It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve zoned out,” Momo points out, helping Dahyun lower herself from her shoulders.  
  
“I don’t think I was paying attention either,” Mina admits, pursing her lips.  
  
Nayeon eyes the two confused girls before speaking, “Then I’ll explain it. It’s like an obstacle course race that you might see on a television show, all set in one lane but wide enough so that every cabin can take part. It’s sort of like a relay race, too. We need to get a small flag to the end before other cabins in order to win, too. But it’s mostly mud, to make it harder.”  
  
Sana scowls. “Why?”  
  
“Apparently this camp does it during the co-ed season, so it’s just something they keep during any other season or week. No point in taking it out for no reason, I guess,” Jeongyeon says with a shrug.  
  
“Is it mandatory?” Mina asks.  
  
“Yep,” Dahyun answers, “since it wouldn’t be much of a tournament if it was optional during this week when there aren’t as many campers as a full season.”  
  
Mina nods, grateful for the answer and not seeming too bothered.  
  
“Are any of you getting sick? Can you cough into my mouth?” Sana asks, desperately, and the girls laugh. There is a frown on her face, because she sure as hell doesn’t want to go through mud. She prefers how it is now, with the nine of them hanging out in pretty, clear lake water and just enjoying the sun. No mud at all! Is that so hard? Is that so much to ask?  
  
“They said it’s random, right?” Tzuyu asks, turning to Jihyo.  
  
“Yeah, we won’t be able to pick who does what. So, I just hope we won’t get anything too crazy. Apparently, they change up some of the obstacles every year.” Jihyo idly puts her hands on her hips before muttering to herself, “I kind of want to win, though.”  
  
“We will!” Momo smiles, catching Jihyo’s words and hugging her from the side. Jihyo dons a content smile, leaning back against Momo.  
  
“Did you have fun, at least?” Mina asks, looking back to Jeongyeon.  
  
Jeongyeon scratches her neck. “Yeah, but we were bummed since two of our roommates weren’t trying.”  
  
“It’ll be fun with us nine, I think,” Chaeyoung says, absentmindedly tapping at the water.  
  
The girls don’t discuss it for much longer, though Sana isn’t sure if she’s grateful or not. On one hand, maybe she should be as mentally prepared as possible for a sudden tourney she apparently didn’t hear about but, on the other hand, she sort of wants to completely forget about it. Procrastinating on worrying about it sounds good, she tells herself. She can get nervous about it when the time comes.

* * *

  
Lunch consists of a variety of things and no one hesitates to dig in. They had all played in the water for a while longer, between tossing around a beach ball and constantly splashing one another, but the counselors kindly brought and prepared their meal for the afternoon, so they had to stop.  
  
Sana wonders why the feeling of her pruney fingertips feels weird and funny against soft bread.  
  
“I miss homecooked meals,” Jeongyeon sighs from beside Sana, biting into some fried chicken.  
  
“We’ve only been gone two days, babe.” Nayeon is sitting on the other end of Jeongyeon, leaning against the girl’s shoulder while eating a sandwich.  
  
Sana nudges Jeongyeon with a smirk. “So, you’re the cook? How charming.”  
  
Jeongyeon gives her an exasperated look before shaking her head with a chuckle. “No, I just mean from my dad. He’s a chef, so there’s always something nice at home. My mom owns a restaurant, too.”  
  
Nayeon smirks. “So, you’re missing a certain standard.”  
  
“That’s not it!”  
  
“I’m just messing with you,” Nayeon says, rubbing her cheek against Jeongyeon’s shoulder. “I know you miss home.”  
  
Sana feels as though her presence in the conversation has faded in place of a soft moment between the two, so she turns to Dahyun with a grin, who is sitting directly across from her on the towel.  
  
“Did you feel better after jumping into the water, Dahyun?”  
  
Dahyun looks up, slurping up a noodle. “Hm?”  
  
“From the rock!”  
  
“Oh, yeah! I actually like swimming, it’s mainly just heights that freak me out.” Dahyun shoots a glare toward Chaeyoung before saying, “The rope swings aren’t happening.”  
  
Chaeyoung pumps her brows with a cheeky grin before Dahyun shoves her gently.  
  
“It’s okay, heights are bad,” Momo chimes in, and Sana is feeling a sense of deja vu from the dance studio. “I freeze up with stuff like that.”  
  
“Have you ever tried to push yourself?” Chaeyoung asks. “No judgment, just asking.”  
  
Mina shakes her head. “I tried to get Momo on a diving board with me once and it didn’t end well.”  
  
Jihyo mocked, “Did it begin at all, let alone end?”  
  
“No,” Mina giggles, rubbing Momo’s back as the latter pouts, “she never made it on.”  
  
Momo returns to scarfing down her food with a few inaudible grumbles, but Mina and Tzuyu continue to console her through pats and rubs. Dahyun also seems to share some chicken with Momo in solidarity, and maybe Sana loves watching the scene unfold. There’s something inexplicable about it all, both in its warmth and lightheartedness, that makes her appreciate the moment for what it is. Something simple, something shared; not unlike a homemade meal.  
  
Sana’s thoughts are interrupted when she feels a chip being gently pressed against her lips, and she turns to find Jihyo smiling at her along with the offer.  
  
“Are you having fun?” Jihyo asks, chuckling as Sana animatedly eats the chip with a funny face.  
  
Sana grins. “Maybe _too_ much!’  
  
“I’m glad you came, Sana.”  
  
“I’m happy that you and Momo asked me to come!”  
  
Momo’s head perks up at the sound of her name. “Are you talking about me over there?”  
  
Sana winks. “Only about how much we love you!”  
  
There’s a suspicious side-eye that Momo gives them before returning her head to Mina’s shoulder while eating. Mina catches Sana’s eye, and they exchange soft smiles for a fleeting moment.  
  
“Things just don’t change with you two, huh?” Jihyo smirks, eating some veggies.  
  
Sana shrugs, her attention back. “Nothing to change when it’s perfect as is. Plus, you’re the best mediator so why worry about it?” The smirk elicits a small nudge from Jihyo, and then there is a brief pause.  
  
“Let’s walk for a bit,” Jihyo says abruptly, standing up.  
  
“Sure!” Sana says, grateful when Jihyo helps to pull her up. She dusts herself off and gives a small wave to the girls, though only Jeongyeon, Mina, and Tzuyu manage to notice the gesture and wave back.  
  
They walk slowly, only managing to make it to the edge of the water. It’s nice to let their feet rest at the shallow edge.  
  
“How’s it going with the girl?” Jihyo whispers suddenly. It makes Sana want to laugh, considering the conversation she had with Momo the previous night. Was she that obvious, or were her best friends plotting to ask about it behind her back?  
  
“How am I supposed to know what you’re talking about?” Sana teases, making the mistake to glance back toward the towels and at Mina, who seems to be talking to Tzuyu over Momo’s head.  
  
“That,” Jihyo snickers. “You can’t even keep your eyes off of her when she’s mentioned. Do you think your little lazy stroll on the way up here went unnoticed?”  
  
Sana pouts, turning back to Jihyo. “Lazy? You don’t know how hard it is for me to walk!”  
  
“Is that all you got from that?”  
  
“No… But is my stalling working?”  
  
“No,” Jihyo chuckles. “Do you want my advice?”  
  
Sana brings on the sad puppy eyes. “Not if it’s going to be bad.”  
  
“No, of course not,” Jihyo says softly with a smile, reassuringly rubbing Sana’s arm. “I think you should go for it.”  
  
Sana jokingly gasps, remembering their conversation on the bus. “You _are_ supporting me!”  
  
“It’s what I do best, after keeping you and Momo out of trouble.”  
  
“I’ve never been in trouble once in my life.”  
  
Jihyo rolls her eyes before continuing, “I could just be imagining it, but that girl has barely touched anyone but you and Momo, and Momo has been her coworker for months. I saw her sneak over to you last night at dinner when you were getting your food. Mina barely knows you, and she’s already gravitating toward you,” she shrugs, “just saying. I’m also Momo’s close friend and, you know, she’s been nice and friendly to me but it’s not the same as with you.”  
  
Sana blushes, pursing her lips and remembering her conversation with Mina on the way up here. “Is that how it looks?”  
  
“I think there’s something there.”  
  
“I may have imagined it, but I think she was flirting with me earlier.”  
  
“Really?” Jihyo asks, eyes wide in surprise. “She doesn’t seem as forward as you.”  
  
Sana bites her bottom lip, trying to think before speaking, “I have definitely said some things to her, but sometimes it’s me just saying what comes naturally or me deflecting something in my head. You know how I am. And she has these really cute reactions, the bashful kind, you know? And I think it’s over, like I’ve said my piece and got a satisfactory response. But then she just says something to add to it. And it’s so adorable, because it’s like I can tell that she’s not in her comfort zone but she’s trying to be some—”  
  
“Alright, Romeo,” Jihyo interrupts, chuckling and grabbing Sana’s shoulders. “It’s been two days and you’re already in deep. Just talk to her.”  
  
Sana giggles. “Momo talked about making alone time for the two of us.”  
  
“I know,” Jihyo winks, “She told me.”  
  
“So you two _do_ talk about me behind my back!”  
  
“Of course,” Jihyo says, kissing Sana’s cheek. “It’s our favorite thing to do.”  
  
“Bullies,” Sana whines with a side-eye, much to Jihyo’s amusement.  
  
“You look like Momo when you do that.”

* * *

  
The walk back to the campgrounds feels a lot shorter than on the way up, but Sana thinks it could be because of the way she had soaked in every minute with Mina when they had walked together. The returning journey was less intimate, however, with Dahyun and Chaeyoung trying to show her some raps they made back in high school, though Sana can only blame herself for inquiring about it when the topic came up upon leaving. She didn’t mind, though. The two girls were surprisingly good.  
  
She frowns now, looking up at the sky. It seems significantly cloudier, with barely any blue in sight, and things are beginning to feel darker.  
  
“That’s not good,” she mumbles to herself.  
  
The counselors explain to the girls that they have returned earlier than anticipated and, therefore, have time to participate in an activity of their choice before dinner.  
  
“Jihyo!” Nayeon grins, quickly linking her arm around her target. “You’ll join Jeongyeon and I for ceramics, right?”  
  
Jihyo spares a glance to Sana and Momo, who both nod, before chuckling, “Absolutely. I’d love to see you two fight over wet clay.”  
  
“Wow, Jihyo. The stuff you’re into is kind of niche, isn’t it?”  
  
“Just ignore Nayeon. That’s what I do,” Jeongeyon says, linking her arm with the opposite side of Jihyo, and Sana bites back a laugh when the two girlfriends practically drag her best friend away, not unlike the way they did with Dahyun at the swimming hole.  
  
“Isn’t that a little suspicious?” Mina asks quietly, sharing an amused look with both Sana and Momo.  
  
Momo hums. “Guess we’ll find out when she doesn’t make it back alive.”  
  
Sana gasps, “What if they’re into Jihyo? Maybe Nayeon really _is_ like that!”  
  
“Like what?” Mina chuckles. “Ridiculous?”  
  
Momo leans in between the three of them, whispering for the sake of the younger girls not too far from them, “I think Sana means ‘kinky.’”  
  
Mina blushes, swatting Momo’s arm. “Stop! I know what she meant, I was joking!”  
  
Momo gapes. “What?! Sana is the one who said it!”  
  
Sana rubs her chin. “They want a three... what’s that called? Three-mix? Three-way?”  
  
“Threesome?” Mina reluctantly adds.  
  
“Yes! That’s it.” Sana grins, much to Mina’s eyeroll. Sana knew, she just wanted it to come out of someone else’s mouth.  
  
“What I meant was that the way they just whisked her away seemed weird,” Mina clarifies, done with the slightly more mature-rated conversation.  
  
Momo shrugs. “I feel like I’m dragged by Sana everywhere, so it doesn’t seem weird to me.”  
  
“Can I just remind you that you invited me here?” Sana says, incredulously.  
  
“No.”  
  
“It was a rhetorical question!”  
  
“What are you guys doing?” Dahyun’s voice abruptly breaks through their weirdly hushed huddle.  
  
“Nothing!” All three of them manage to reply in unison, straightening up and turning around at the question as if they hadn’t been potentially discussing something mildly explicit even for a second.  
  
The three younger girls stand there, eyebrows raised or furrowed amongst the three of them almost instantly.  
  
Tzuyu clears her throat. “We meant for the activity you’ll be doing…”  
  
“Oh!” Sana giggles, bringing a finger to her lips. “Oops! Why, what are _you_ doing, Tzuyu?”  
  
Tzuyu’s eyes crinkle a bit. “Drawing. Do you want to come with us?”  
  
“Sure!” Sana beams, thankful for any excuse to not have to admit what she and her two friends were talking about moments before. She hops over to Tzuyu and Chaeyoung, grabbing their hands excitedly. They don’t resist or seem to mind, as far as their bashful smiles are saying.  
  
Dahyun frowns. “Hey, I was a part of it, too!”  
  
“Nope,” Momo says, grabbing Dahyun by the sleeves and pulling her away. “You’re with Mina and I now.”  
  
“What are you two even doing?! You never answered _my_ question!”  
  
Mina offers an apologetic smile. “We still don’t know.”  
  
“I was the one who suggested drawing for Chaeng! I had a plan! I asked! How am I with you two now?” Dahyun whines, getting further and further away as Sana watches her become another victim to be dragged away. “We don’t have to be so evenly distributed in threes! It’s too convenient!”  
  
It’s the last cry of distress Sana hears from Dahyun before she, along with Momo and Mina, fades into the distance.

* * *

  
“You know, I’m not great at this, but I will admit I feel very relaxed!” Sana says, smiling to herself when she draws another heart on the paper in front of her. She, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu are sharing a round table together in the drawing and painting room of the camp’s art annex. It’s a colorful and bright room, lit well regardless of the cloudy sky outside, and there are drawing and painting supplies lining the walls along with many types of papers and posters. Initially, she thought they would be forced to draw something specific as a group along with the other campers in the room, but it turns out that another perk of going to the college-age week is that campers can do mostly what they want within the parameters of the activity.  
  
“It’s freeing,” Chaeyoung mumbles, engrossed in her drawing. Sana tries to peek, but she can’t make much sense of it from an upside-down perspective.  
  
Tzuyu has a small smile while she doodles onto her sheet. “It’s fun.”  
  
Sana can see that Tzuyu seems to be drawing various dog shapes, with bones and hearts, and a part of her wants to burst at how cute it is. Mina was not exaggerating when she said Tzuyu seemed to love dogs back in their high school days. A part of her wants to ask Tzuyu about Mina and their club, but she doesn’t want to interrupt the activity with a full conversation. Chaeyoung is too into what she’s doing for Sana to want to feel distracting by any means.  
  
So, she goes back to drawing random things that she likes. Hearts, lollipops, noodles, perfume bottles, witch wands, and other such things, as shakily done as they are. It’s kind of nice, she thinks. Sana was never one to doodle out of boredom, simply because she doesn’t feel that it’s her thing but, in this moment, she can’t deny that it’s a pleasant experience that she kind of wishes she did more often.  
  
She spares a few worrying glances out the window occasionally, but there is nothing concerning as of yet. She isn’t sure if she should expect there to be a bonfire tonight, but maybe it’s nothing but clouds, after all. Glancing over toward some counselors sitting by the front desk of the room, she reminds herself that there would be a staff announcement if the fire were to be cancelled. A part of her wishes they would bring up a cancellation, though, just so that she could stop feeling anxious about what the clouds might entail.  
  
“How does this look?” Chaeyoung asks suddenly after a few minutes, and both Sana and Tzuyu turn their attention toward her. Sana is surprised to see a singular thing on the paper, given how long Chaeyoung had been drawing, but something about it draws her eye right away.  
  
“Is that a ‘T’ mixed together with a ‘W’ or am I imagining it?” Sana asks, staring.  
  
Chaeyoung grins. “You got it!”  
  
“Oh, nice!” Sana beams, feeling like a winner, though she doesn’t fully understand. “Is this a symbol from something? I’ve never seen it, but I like the way it curves and stuff.”  
  
“Tzuyu actually inspired it,” Chaeyoung says, turning to Tzuyu, who blinks and seems shocked. “It’s for ‘Twice!’”  
  
Sana’s smile softens, “Our cabin?”  
  
“I know that Tzuyu said it was simple, but I actually kind of thought it was cool.” Chaeyoung continues to hold up the drawing toward Tzuyu, whose blush and bashfully surprised smile warms Sana’s heart. “What do you think? I know you weren’t thinking about the cabin name like crazy or anything, but I really did like the name. It just made sense, I don’t know.”  
  
Tzuyu seems to struggle to push past her surprise for a moment before eventually saying, “I really like it,” with a big, unabashed smile.  
  
Sana feels delighted. “So, this is like a logo for the nine of us?”  
  
“Yeah! We’re going to have to be a team tomorrow for that tournament anyway, and every sports team has a logo or symbol. Why not?” Chaeyoung shrugs, grabbing some colored pencils, before mumbling to herself again, “Maybe I’ll fill it in with a rainbow gradient.” And just like that, she’s lost again in the picture.  
  
“You’re awesome, Chaeng,” Sana whispers.  
  
“What’d you say?”  
  
“The truth,” Tzuyu says with a giggle, sharing a knowing smile with Sana before they return to their individual pictures.

* * *

  
Dinner is not unlike the previous night, where nine girls sit around and happily eat their food around the table while chatting about what is arguably nonsense. There is a noticeable increase in food sharing and exchanging across the whole table, and Sana realizes how interesting it is for everyone to have their own unique tastes along with the ones that overlap. It reminds her of the brief conversation she had with Jeongyeon earlier in the day, and she tries to imagine what each of the girls are used to eating at home.  
  
There are a lot of questions that have been forming in her mind, she realizes, regarding these relatively new friends. How did Nayeon and Jeongyeon get together, and what are they like without one another? Did Dahyun and Chaeyoung meet as neighbors or as schoolmates, and when did they start enjoying rap together, of all things? What was Tzuyu’s childhood like, for her to grow into such a proper yet unbelievably adorable human, and what made her love dogs so much? What was Mina’s life story, and why could Sana sometimes only see her when the nine of them were together? But maybe that is too much for her to think about while swallowing down rice and simultaneously noticing that Mina is glancing her way, so she focuses on what everyone did during their activity slot, instead.  
  
Jihyo says that doing ceramics with Nayeon and Jeongyeon is an unforgettable experience, if only for the unnecessary amount of wet clay that ends up on the smocks of everyone within a small radius. The two supposedly still bicker, but when surrounded by less friends they apparently are flirtier, and Sana isn’t sure if she wants to see more flirtation than she already has. In fact, she thought the bickering _was_ part of the flirting, so the implication by Jihyo is somewhat unsettling that it can reach an entirely different level. Reliably, of course, Jihyo is unfazed and is happy to share a picture of the little pot she has waiting for her tomorrow.  
  
Dahyun proudly announces that she and Mina had the best cookies among the campers who had been with them when they went to do baking, which Momo whines was her suggestion in the first place. Momo also jokes that she made aggression cookies in honor of her feelings toward Sana, but a quick smack to the arm forces Momo to admit that she only did them because the counselor said they would be the easiest to make from scratch. But she says that Dahyun’s white chocolate and Mina’s milk chocolate chip cookies were worth going for, in the end. And the bashful, giddy smiles from both Dahyun and Mina as they hand out the cookies speak volumes in how proud they are of their work.  
  
Everyone is more or less amused or struck with an instinctive “aw” at the sight of Tzuyu and Sana’s pictures, though Tzuyu’s obvious canine theme elicits a few more happy squeals than Sana’s random bombardment of items and shapes, but she’s okay with it. When Chaeyoung whips out her Twice logo, beautifully filled with the rainbow gradient she had intended, there are many claps and grins from across the table as she explains the purpose behind it. She seems more than happy with the reaction, and Nayeon immediately offers for them to hang it above their door when they get back to the cabin later tonight. Tzuyu is the first to agree with the idea, and no one else says otherwise.  
  
“We should make shirts or tank tops with the logo, too. Whatever we end up wearing,” Dahyun suggests, nudging Chaeyoung proudly.  
  
“For tomorrow?” Jeongyeon asks, and Dahyun nods. “That does sound like a good idea. We can probably dye something tonight and have it dry by then. I can stop by the rec center later and see if they have tank tops available.”  
  
Mina frowns. “Isn’t the mud going to ruin them? I don’t want us to ruin your logo the first time we use it.”  
  
“It’s okay,” Chaeyoung assures. “I kind of like the idea of us matching. Even if we don’t win, we’ll be the coolest cabin for looking like an actual team.”  
  
“I like your thinking, kid,” Nayeon starts, before leaning into the table, “but we’re going to win.”  
  
Chaeyoung chuckles. “Right, I forgot.”  
  
“We’re going to win and make sure we give the elders here the redemption they deserve,” Jihyo jokes, gesturing to Nayeon and Jeongyeon, who fail to hold a glare before breaking with a pair of amused grins.  
  
“We’ll win,” Tzuyu says, calmly and confidently while eating.  
  
Momo giggles. “Now, if _she_ says it, we have to win.”  
  
Chaeyoung holds her hands up in defeat, smiling despite herself. “Fine, fine! I’ll put in the effort but don’t expect me to go above and beyond what I have to. I made the team logo; I did my time.”  
  
“Me, too,” Sana cuts in, imitating Chaeyoung’s gesture. “I want to have fun, but I hope I get the least exhausting thing. I’m a better cheerleader than I am an athlete!”  
  
“You act like you’re out of shape!” Dahyun laughs, slightly incredulous.  
  
Sana shoots her a pointed look, raising in volume. “I can be in-shape and lazy, Dahyun!”  
  
Mina chuckles. “It’s true, I like to lay down all day if possible.”  
  
“Where is the competitive spirit here?” Nayeon whines, picking up Chaeyoung’s drawing and gently shaking it in front of everyone’s face. “Do it for Twice!”  
  
“Are you trying to use my own drawing to guilt me?!” Chaeyoung asks in disbelief, half-laughing through her words with a gaping mouth.  
  
“Yes! I am!”

* * *

  
Sana can’t help but feel suspicious when Jeongyeon takes a seat next to her on the log when they’ve arrived at the bonfire. The older girl even readies her marshmallow and stick, and Sana momentarily wonders how closely she may resemble Nayeon.  
  
“Are you confused?” Sana asks, bluntly.  
  
Jeongyeon turns to her and blinks. “What?”  
  
“Your girlfriend is over there,” Sana says, pointing over at Nayeon, who is sitting next to Jihyo on a different log.  
  
“Your point?” Jeongyeon raises an eyebrow, though there is a glint of amusement in her eye.  
  
“You could be sitting with her.”  
  
Jeongyeon snickers. “You know we’re not connected at the hip, right?”  
  
It isn’t as though Sana thinks they should be with one another at all times, but something doesn’t feel organic about this seating choice. “So, you’re sitting here because you’re a big fan of mine?”  
  
“Well, we are cabin mates.”  
  
“Friends,” Sana clarifies, and is happy when Jeongyeon offers a small smile in return.  
  
“Friends.”  
  
“You’re so sweet! Now, friends tell each other why they sat where they sat.”  
  
Jeongyeon rolls her eyes. “You and Nayeon should hang out more.”  
  
Sana gasps. “Are you calling me competition?”  
  
She’s surprised to hear a snort from the older girl. Maybe even a tad offended.  
  
“What’s that reaction supposed to mean?!”  
  
“I know you’re kidding, but have you been around Nayeon, like, at all?” Jeongyeon laughs, leaning in and getting her marshmallow into the flames. There aren’t as many campers out tonight, though Sana isn’t surprised. She, too, leans in with her own marshmallow and tries not to think about the fact that Mina decided to stay back at the cabin after all.  
  
“Yeah, and?”  
  
“She’s relentless.”  
  
The monotone in Jeongyeon’s voice makes Sana laugh, causing Nayeon to squint in their direction for a moment, as though by instinct. Jeongyeon merely waves, and Nayeon looks her up and down before continuing to talk to Jihyo.  
  
“Just seemed random,” Sana mumbles, twirling her stick and returning to the original topic.  
  
“I just think this cabin is actually worth getting to know better, if that makes sense,” Jeongyeon says quietly, her eyes focused on her marshmallow. It’s earnest, and Sana can’t help but appreciate the implied compliment.  
  
“You two were funny right away,” Sana chuckles, recalling how lunch went the day before. Had it only been yesterday? It feels as though she has known them for much longer.  
  
Jeongyeon smirks. “We try, I guess. I think after last year, we just want a better time than what we had.”  
  
“Ah, with the homophobic girl, right?”  
  
“Right. But Nayeon was telling me as soon as your friend group came in yesterday morning that she had a good feeling about everyone.” Jeongyeon shrugs. “She wasn’t wrong. And I can tell how much she likes everyone already.”  
  
Sana pouts, overcome with emotion. “Aw, Nayeon…”  
  
“Don’t tell her I said that,” Jeongyeon says with the smirk still on her face, and she pulls back the stick to blow at the fiery marshmallow.  
  
“And what about you? Do you like everyone?”  
  
Jeongyeon bites the marshmallow and merely turns her head to raise an amused eyebrow at Sana, as though the question should have an obvious answer. She chews silently, and Sana smiles. Maybe Jeongyeon isn’t as much of the verbally expressive type, like Nayeon is. There can be many things that are said between the lines, through actions, and by subtle implications. And maybe that isn’t always direct, but it could be why Nayeon works so well with her. Or perhaps that isn’t why they work at all; Sana couldn’t be the judge after only two days.  
  
“How did you two get together?” Sana asks, taking the opportunity to get a burning question out of the way. Jeongyeon hums while she finishes eating her marshmallow, giving Sana the time to take her own out of the fire and to start eating it.  
  
Jeongyeon clears her throat, putting her stick to the side. “It’s kind of stupid, actually.”  
  
Sana holds back a laugh since her mouth is full, because she isn’t shocked by the idea that it could be, but she gestures for Jeongyeon to go on.  
  
“It’s literally just,” Jeongyeon shakes her head, trying not to laugh at a memory that Sana can’t see, “I kept ending up in Nayeon’s classes by coincidence. And I don’t mean for one semester, I mean for three consecutive semesters we coincidentally had every class together; five classes each time. So, one day she just decides to sit next to me – in the beginning of the day, mind you, which meant I had to see her for the rest of the afternoon – and says something ridiculous about, like, ‘Okay. Now I’m just annoyed. I can’t decide if you’re a creep or if this is fate, so it really better be the latter or I’m dropping out of this hellhole and getting a restraining order.’ And, keep in mind, I _had_ noticed she was in my class every time, but it was hard not to when she was this loud, boisterous girl in the back row while I always sat quietly at the front. I didn’t care about her, at least not in the way she had apparently been caring about my presence, and suddenly she just inserted herself into my life.”  
  
There’s something about the way that Jeongyeon talks about Nayeon that has Sana gripped by the story with more commitment than she had anticipated. There’s a fake layer of exasperation at the forefront of what Jeongyeon is saying, but her eyes and expression betray that front and, instead, allude to a deeper sense of adoration than she seems to be willing to admit. Maybe, at the time, it genuinely had been some crazy thing that Jeongyeon was going through, but it is clear now that it is a story told affectionately in hindsight for the older girl.  
  
Jeongyeon chuckles, continuing, “What am I supposed to do with that, you know? I vividly remember just staring at her, wide-eyed, and feeling absolutely baffled that she could really be sitting there, in earnest, and calling me a potential creep or a factor of fate as if she didn’t just shove herself into my bubble with this ridiculous combination of words that she just spewed out of her mouth. I asked her, _so_ bluntly, if she was feeling okay and she just groaned and left. Left! As if she didn’t just initiate that whole thing. Then the next class, while I’m still dealing with the mental gymnastics of the aftermath, she comes to me again and – much more shyly – goes, ‘I was trying to imply you’re hot. You’re gay, right?’”  
  
Sana bursts into laughter. “How was that implied at all from what she said?”  
  
Jeongyeon’s eyes widen, grateful for the understanding. “Yes, exactly!”  
  
“What did you do?”  
  
“I left the classroom and just skipped the rest of the day. I feel like a jerk sometimes when I think about it these days, but at the time it was just so insanely surreal that I couldn’t process any other method of dealing with it. Ask her, and even she’ll tell you that it was crazy, even for her. But we’re also talking about someone who leaves her glasses in the fridge by accident, so I guess nothing is really off the table.”  
  
“She does what?”  
  
Jeongyeon laughs. “You heard me. Anyway, she sends me an email through our school site later that night with this huge message that included an apology and some surprisingly sweet things. It felt like a completely different personality than what sat next to me, so I said we could go out for coffee. Next thing you know, we’re sitting with one another in every class and continuing our accidental tradition of always being in the same courses, and the rest is history, I guess. I still ask myself how the hell she won me over, but I guess it’s too late, huh?”  
  
“Thank you for sharing that with me,” Sana says, as sincerely as she can with a smile. “I genuinely loved that story so much.”  
  
Jeongyeon chuckles. “No problem. It’s one of those ‘shit-show’ stories, almost. At least your story will be cuter.”  
  
Sana blinks. “What story?”  
  
“Of how you and Mina met, right?”  
  
Jeongyeon’s smirk grows almost devilishly wide while Sana breaks into a cold sweat. A part of Sana wants to desperately believe that she made up the words, that somehow her constant thinking about Mina has managed to manifest itself into her external interactions. And maybe that would be much less healthy but, funnily enough, she can’t help but feel that it would be preferred over the sense of embarrassment heating up her face.  
  
“Hey, ladies,” Nayeon greets as she suddenly walks over to their log, giving them a wave that Jeongyeon returns before standing up. “You ready to get the tank tops?”  
  
“Yeah, I was just telling Sana about how you and I met,” Jeongyeon says, winking at her girlfriend.  
  
“Oh!” Nayeon laughs, although it sounds somewhat humiliated. “How bad did you make me sound this time?”  
  
Jeongyeon smirks. “Horrid.”  
  
Nayeon shoots her a very fake and cheeky smile. “Great.”  
  
“It was a good story, honestly,” Sana manages to choke out, barely able to clear her throat. She doesn’t miss the way Jeongyeon swiftly whispers something into Nayeon’s ear, only for the latter to give Sana a knowing smirk.  
  
“Feel free to talk to us anytime, Sana,” Nayeon drawls, before pulling Jeongyeon along with her as they turn to walk away from the bonfire.  
  
Watching them walk away, hand in hand, is normally a sweet sight. However, Sana can’t escape the overwhelming feeling that she has been defeated by a deity of some kind, something with power beyond her own recognition, and she isn’t sure how to feel. There is no way that Momo or Jihyo would say anything, or so she liked to think. That would suck.  
  
Sana shakes her head at the thought; of course they wouldn’t, undoubtedly. She wants to turn to them for support but is genuinely shocked that all but one of the Twice girls have gone back.

* * *

  
“Hi,” Tzuyu greets quietly, walking over and taking a seat beside Sana with a bag of marshmallows and s’more ingredients in hand.  
  
Sana makes sure to collect herself, for the other’s sake. “Hey! I didn’t know how much you loved these.”  
  
Tzuyu tries not to smile too widely while putting a new marshmallow on a stick. “I do love them.”  
  
“They’re great! Although, I’ve only had the appetite to eat one both yesterday and tonight,” Sana says, though deep down she knows it’s because both nights have been centered around the same subject, and any desire to eat something sticky becomes unappealing.  
  
“If you’re feeling a little hungry in a bit, we can share,” Tzuyu says.  
  
Sana beams. “You’re so sweet, thank you!”  
  
Tzuyu subtly shakes her head. “It’s only polite.”  
  
There is a cuter sense of focus from Tzuyu when it comes to twirling the stick in the flames, at least compared to Jeongyeon. Jeongyeon had been very focused and careful about timing, sure, but Tzuyu seems almost fascinated by the way the marshmallow roasts slowly in the fire, her concentration clearly aiming for a perfect level of toasting while appreciating the methodology and beauty behind it, as though it were magic.  
  
“You said you hadn’t been to a camp before, right?” Sana asks, remembering that Jihyo had asked the younger kids the day before.  
  
“Nope.”  
  
“What made you want to come here, then?” Sana asks, genuinely curious. “You’re the only one in our cabin who didn’t come with another person.”  
  
“My parents saw an ad for it and wanted me to do something fun this summer.” Tzuyu says, before pouting. “If they allowed dogs, I would have brought Gucci.”  
  
Sana chuckles, patting the girl’s back. She clearly missed her dog, if last night’s pet-owner conversation was any indicator.  
  
“I know how much you love dogs, especially your own. In fact, Mina mentioned to me that you two were in the same club in high school!”  
  
Tzuyu grins at the mention, looking back to Sana. “Right! We volunteered at shelters. I really loved it, but they don’t have anything like that on my campus. I wanted to try working at the local shelter this summer, but my parents are encouraging me to try and have fun while I still can before worrying about working.”  
  
“They don’t know how much you love pets?” Sana blinks, surprised.  
  
“I think they’re afraid I’ll get rabies by accident. But I don’t care.”  
  
“That’s very bold, if not brave.”  
  
Tzuyu shrugs. “Maybe. But I do remember Mina. We didn’t talk, though. I know that I’m a quiet person, and she was, too. But she seems more extroverted than before, so I’m happy for her.”  
  
“How are you so cute?” Sana grins, leaning against Tzuyu and giving her a hug. The younger girl tries to hold a glare in her direction, but it barely manages to stay before Tzuyu has to shake her head and bite back a small smile.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“It’s _my_ pleasure, trust me,” Sana says, watching as Tzuyu pulls back the marshmallow and carefully squishes it between some chocolate and graham crackers.  
  
Tzuyu turns her head a bit to look at Sana on her shoulder. “Do you want a bite?”  
  
Sana shakes her head, a dumb smile on her face. Tzuyu rolls her eyes and eats the s’more.  
  
“Why did you stay behind?” Tzuyu asks. “You don’t even want to eat a marshmallow.”  
  
Sana giggles. “Maybe I didn’t want to leave you alone!”  
  
“You seemed surprised when I walked over.”  
  
“Maybe I just like to think,” Sana shrugs, sad that the girl had caught her being surprised and not even entertaining the idea that her senior could be looking out for her.  
  
Tzuyu hums. “I like to think, too.”  
  
Sana wipes a couple of crumbs off of Tzuyu’s chin when the girl goes for a big bite of her s’more which, admittedly, causes Sana to giggle. But Tzuyu ignores it and simply nods her head in gratitude when Sana clears the graham cracker debris from her face.  
  
“What do you like to think about?” Sana asks after Tzuyu has swallowed.  
  
“Dogs,” Tzuyu deadpans, though Sana’s laughter causes the façade to crack until they’re both chuckling. She clears her throat. “I’m kidding, they’re not the only thing I talk about.”  
  
“Prove it!”  
  
“I was thinking of the drawing that Chaeng made,” Tzuyu says, before taking another bite.  
  
Sana smiles. “It really was nice, huh? I didn’t know she liked art.”  
  
Tzuyu nods, giving herself a moment to swallow again before continuing, “She loves it, from what she says to me. And she talks about not setting a certain standard for herself so that she can just enjoy it for what it is, and I really admire that.”  
  
“And the drawing was kind of inspired by you, too. That must have felt nice, right?”  
  
“Yeah,” Tzuyu whispers with a smile. “I was really surprised when she did that.”  
  
“Me, too,” Sana chuckles. The memory still warmed her heart. She had thought that she was the only one appreciating the way they, as a cabin, were coming together, but maybe Chaeyoung feels the same way. Seeing that drawing and knowing what it meant was enough to make Sana believe that maybe she isn’t alone in this feeling.  
  
They stay like this for a while, with Tzuyu inevitably leaning her head against Sana’s while peacefully making and enjoying her s’mores. There’s only one particular time that Sana allows the younger girl to give her a bite, and they both smile before continuing in their peaceful quiet.  
  
Maybe this is okay, Sana thinks. Maybe it’s okay to enjoy the quiet between two people and become lost in thought to the soft sounds of crackling embers and chirping crickets. Maybe it's okay to think a little too much sometimes. And maybe it’s okay to love something, like a cabin of nine people, and see how others are loving that same thing in the same way more and more. Maybe it’s okay to want to cry at the sight of someone spontaneously doing something like drawing a tribute for this group, or to want to cry because some newly-met girl seems heartbreakingly disappointed in themselves, or to want to cry because love – platonic or romantic – can happen so fast that it’s both incredible and overwhelming. Maybe it’s okay, maybe it’s sad, maybe it’s crazy, maybe it’s –  
  
“Maybe we should head back,” Tzuyu suggests softly, pulling Sana away from her train of thought. Sana lifts her head from the girl’s shoulder quietly, watching as Tzuyu puts away the remaining ingredients she didn’t use before they both stand up and begin to walk back to their cabin.  
  
“Did you have a nice night?” Sana asks.  
  
Tzuyu gives Sana a small smile. “Yes. Thank you for waiting with me.”  
  
“Like I said, I wouldn’t leave you alone in the end.”

* * *

  
Sana is surprised when she walks up the steps of the cabin with Tzuyu, only to find Mina sitting quietly on the porch swing.  
  
Tzuyu waves at Mina. “Were you here the whole time?”  
  
Mina shakes her head with a smile. “No, I just came out here a little bit ago.”  
  
“Ah,” Tzuyu nods, returning the smile. “I’ll see you inside. Make sure not to stay out too long.”  
  
“You, too,” Mina says with a small wave, watching Tzuyu open the door and enter the cabin before closing the door behind her. Mina turns her head to Sana, who is still on the porch steps. “Are you okay?”  
  
Sana blinks, ignoring the question. “I thought you were going to be asleep this whole time!”  
  
“I did nap for a little bit,” Mina admits, bashfully. She gently drums her hands against a blanket on her lap. “But I woke up when most of the girls came back, but you and Tzuyu weren’t here so I thought I’d wait for you two.”  
  
“How kind of you,” Sana says with a smile as she approaches the swing. “May I?”  
  
Mina grins, patting the spot next to her. “Of course.”  
  
Sana gently takes a seat beside her, too afraid that her usual clumsiness would steer her wrong if she were to approach the swing too quickly. She smiles when Mina silently unfolds the blanket more so that it could cover both of their legs, as though the warmth of being next to her isn’t already enough even on a cool summer night.  
  
“Did you have a good day today?” Mina asks, her voice a bit quiet. She does seem like a girl who may have woken up not too long ago, and Sana thinks it’s cute how soft she looks in the glow of the porchlight.  
  
Sana chuckles. “It was certainly a long one.”  
  
“Bad?” Mina frowns.  
  
“Oh, no! Just long, and maybe too good.”  
  
“Too good?” Mina is amused by that.  
  
Sana shrugs, humming. “Maybe the centipede wasn’t the best.”  
  
“Yeah,” Mina laughs, “I wouldn’t call that a highlight.”  
  
“You were one, though,” Sana says with a wink, earning a light smack on the shoulder.  
  
Mina rolls her eyes. “I take it your favorite class from Hogwarts was Charms, then.”  
  
Sana genuinely, so sincerely, tries to bite back the laugh that threatens to erupt, but it’s completely in vain. It is probably the dorkiest joke, maybe the dorkiest pickup-line even, that she has ever heard. Her body shakes before bursting into tearful laughter, and she can barely register any pain from the weak swats Mina continues to give her.  
  
“Stop!” Mina begs, though she herself cannot stop cracking up as the swing moves back and forth from the force of their laughter. Sana isn’t sure she’s heard Mina laugh this hard, and she takes note of the way her voice squeals just a bit when she’s practically doubled over. It’s a cute sound that Sana hopes to continue to hear.  
  
Sana is still wiping tears away even as she calms down, “I almost regret mentioning Harry Potter yesterday. But then that would mean I wouldn’t get to hear you utter the words that really came out of your own mouth just now.”  
  
Mina regains her composure, stating matter-of-factly, “High risk, high reward.”  
  
“What was the reward to match that?” Sana asks, mouth agape at the idea that saying something so cheesy could be worth it for any reason.  
  
“To hear you laugh,” Mina says softly, averting her gaze while straightening herself up.  
  
Sana can feel herself blushing, though she hopes the dim glow of the porch is enough to hide it from being too obvious. Jihyo’s words buzz at the back of her head, “ _I think there’s something there.”_ And, in this moment, Sana thinks that maybe Jihyo is right. There’s something in the air in this very second, almost tangible, that curls its finger to tempt Sana nearer, to close this seemingly thick gap between her and this beautiful girl. Her lips feel dry, suddenly, and she takes this moment while Mina is looking away to lick her lips.  
  
“Can I tell you something?” Sana asks, suddenly, her voice like a whisper.  
  
“Of course,” Mina says, meeting her gaze again.  
  
There’s something in the way that Mina says it, almost as though Mina herself is unconvinced that actual words will follow from Sana’s mouth. Sana gulps when she realizes that she’s leaning in subconsciously, and that Mina’s eyes are already becoming half-lidded. Her chest feels like a caged drum, beating and threatening that her heart could burst at any moment beneath the lantern light.  
  
And suddenly there is a crack of thunder, but it isn’t from her chest.  
  
Ignoring the abruptly wide-eyed Mina, Sana shuts her eyes suddenly and shrieks at the sound in shock, her grip on the back of the swing and the blanket instinctively tightening. She practically jumps in her seat, trembling as another wave of thunder rolls deeply in the sky.  
  
“Damn it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!” Sana cries out, wanting to curse herself for thinking that the clouds from earlier in the day meant nothing when she knew they seemed worrisome to begin with.  
  
“Oi!” Nayeon’s voice yells, and Sana manages to open an eye just in time to watch as Nayeon slams the door open, donning a face mask and some pajamas. “What the hell was that?!”  
  
Sana almost wants to kiss Nayeon for looking ridiculous and briefly distracting her mind for a fraction of a second, and Sana is even more grateful when Chaeyoung curiously peeks from behind Nayeon, wearing the exact same face mask. Nayeon wasn’t kidding about sharing, Sana guesses.  
  
Like a whip meant to torture her, Sana freezes again at the sound of another crack of thunder.  
  
“It’s okay,” Mina answers, waving for Nayeon and Chaeyoung to go back inside. “The thunder surprised her.”  
  
Nayeon seems to believe it or, at the very least, seems to trust Mina enough with Sana, and closes the door again.  
  
Mina scoots closer to Sana, cupping Sana’s face in her hands. “Are you scared of thunder?”  
  
Sana blinks, still shaking a little, and is surprised by the earnest concern in Mina’s expression. She manages to nod, trying to focus on the way Mina calmly strokes her cheeks with her thumbs.  
  
“Do you want to go inside?”  
  
Sana doesn’t know how to say that she doesn’t think she’s capable of moving her legs properly, so she shakes her head slowly. She tries to focus on the pitter patter of rain hitting the roof of the porch, but the flashing light of the sky with every lightning bolt only reminds her of what’s to come soon after.  
  
“Just rest your head on my lap, okay?” Mina says, still caressing Sana’s face.  
  
They adjust a bit, and Sana shakily moves so that she can lay her head on Mina’s lap, with Mina’s insistence that Sana’s face be facing her stomach. Despite the weather, Sana’s ears heat up at the intimacy, and she desperately tries to cling onto this moment as Mina moves the blanket so that it can fully cover Sana.  
  
There’s not much that Sana can say as she’s trying to relax, but she’s grateful for the way Mina’s fingers comb through her hair and gently massage her scalp. She closes her eyes to the sound of Mina singing familiar and famous ballads, and Sana is almost a little offended that Mina can sing well, on top of everything else. A hand gently presses against her side and rubs her arm reassuringly whenever Sana ends up freezing again, before always returning to her head.  
  
“There’s nothing to be scared of,” Mina says softly, her voice gentle like the rain around them, “I’m here.”  
  
And, despite her fears, maybe Sana doesn’t want to be anywhere else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments so far! I genuinely appreciate when you take the time to let me know what you think and what you liked, and I often find myself rereading many of the nice things that people say. Thank you for your time and consideration in reading my fic!
> 
> Twitter:  
> @heartshooketh


	4. It's Fine, Isn't It? (Day Three)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a hot minute, hasn't it? Hope you all are doing well so far in the New Year. Fun fact, there is literally a singular scene in this chapter that is the cause of me being inspired for the entire fic in the first place.

_She wasn’t sure how long they had stayed like that, given that she had fallen asleep, but a part of her knew that she had no desire to leave, ever.  
  
“Sana.”  
  
Sana stirred in place, her arms reflexively wrapping around the waist of the body she had been laying on as remnants of her consciousness began pooling toward the forefront. The way her name sounded, wrapped in that soft and familiar lullaby-like voice, made it harder for her to want to open her eyes. She could feel warm fingers tuck a strand of hair behind her own ear.  
  
“The thunder is over. Come on, we should go inside.”  
  
A part of her wanted to whine, to tell the girl that they didn’t have to go anywhere and that they could just sleep there, sleep exactly as they were. But she knew that their positioning was only comfortable for one of them, so she opened her eyes slowly and looked up. The small, upward curve of Mina’s lips greeted her as the girl gently patted her arm in an effort to wake her.  
  
“Are you sure?” Sana mumbled, still groggy and a bit dizzied by Mina’s pretty face. “If another bolt sneak-attacks me in my sleep, I won’t have you to protect me.”  
  
Mina blushed, Sana could tell. “I’d be in the bunk right next to you, Sana.”  
  
“Ah, I see,” Sana said while adjusting herself, sitting up again beside Mina and turning her attention toward folding the blanket. She smiled to herself and teased, “So you’re saying that I can sleep with you when I’m feeling a little scared?”  
  
“Oh, was that only a ‘little’ scared?”  
  
“Hey,” Sana pouted, not expecting that Mina would tease her in response to what she had hoped would be a particularly flustering comment. She turned her head to Mina to speak more of her mind, but she paused when she met Mina’s gaze again. The girl’s expression was thoughtful, with a hint of playfulness as though expecting Sana to retort like she normally would. But Sana quietly gulped instead, opting to say, perhaps a tad too honestly, “There are scarier things.”  
  
The reply seemed to perplex Mina, though Sana couldn’t blame the girl who had probably been expecting a little more of the usual banter that she normally provided.  
  
“Did you have a bad dream?” Mina asked suddenly, perhaps looking for a reason why that would have been the response, and Sana couldn’t properly explain the way that her heart had thumped against her chest even if she had wanted to. She wasn’t sure it was possible to have a nightmare while in Mina’s lap.  
  
“You’re so considerate,” Sana replied, before clarifying, “I didn’t.”  
  
Mina hummed, standing up from the porch swing. “Do you have other things you’re scared of?”  
  
Sana chuckled, following suit and making sure to pick up the blanket. “Guess?”  
  
“Hm,” Mina donned a playful smirk, “I wonder if it’s… running?”  
  
“I know I complain about it a lot, okay!” Sana whined, swatting Mina’s arm and eliciting a giggle from the other girl. Mina’s nod is sarcastic, and Sana huffed when they came to the doorway. “But it’s not that bad! I’ll prove that I can run tomorrow!”  
  
“You kind of have to, anyway,” Mina smiled, unfazed by Sana’s complaining. Maybe Momo had trained her. “I’m pretty sure Nayeon will kill you if you’re not trying your best.”  
  
Sana giggled, instantly changing gears. “Okay, maybe you’re right.”  
  
They stood in front of the door, Sana’s hand on the knob. A pause filled the space between them while her wrist only subtly twisted the handle, and Mina’s curved lip abruptly brought the memory back of an almost-kiss between the two of them. She hoped that Mina wouldn’t see any physical traces of the heat suddenly blazing across Sana’s face, especially when the memory that Sana had been indulging in returned to the forefront of her mind.  
  
“You okay?”  
  
Sana blinked, her grip on the handle fully twisted but stilled. “Huh?”  
  
“I asked if you were okay.”  
  
“Ah,” Sana murmured, before asking, “Are you?”  
  
Mina smiled, and it felt reassuring. “I’m okay, Sana.”  
  
“Then so am I,” Sana smiled back, pulling the door open and making sure to wish Mina a good night before returning to her own bed. It wasn’t easy to fall back asleep for a while after that, and Sana couldn’t help but humor herself at the idea that maybe Mina had been right all along; maybe she needed someone to sleep with, seeing how easily she had fallen asleep on Mina, even with thunder. Or maybe it was just because it was her, and no one else.  
  
She’d run after Mina if she had to, she had thought, just before dozing off yet again.  
  
_

* * *

  
She’s uncertain which is the dream; the memory of last night or the sight of Mina’s face not too far from hers now, her elbows leaning against the mattress of Sana’s top bunk while she stands on the ladder. There is no way that both things are real, right?  
  
“Hey,” Mina greets quietly, and Sana can tell by the scent of her minty breath that the girl has already gone through her morning routine. “Momo told me to try and get you up.”  
  
Of course Momo did.  
  
Somewhat self-conscious about potential morning breath, Sana grumbles into her pillow, “Tell Momo that she can fight me.”  
  
“Everyone’s already outside,” Mina chuckles, gently poking Sana’s cheek. “You slept through the morning alarm. The tank tops are done drying, too. Don’t you want to try on what Chaeng made?”  
  
At that, Sana sits up and stretches. Despite the lingering fatigue, she manages to lower herself from her bunk and onto the floor. “Where is it?”  
  
Mina points to Jihyo’s bed, which is already made. The tank top is already there, black with Chaeyoung’s Twice logo painted onto the back in those familiar rainbow colors. Sana beams, lifting the top up and waving it in front of Mina, before finally realizing that Mina is already fully dressed. It is with very little subtlety that Sana looks Mina up and down, trying not to swoon over something as simple as a tank top and matching shorts.  
  
“It looks good, right?” Mina asks, turning around and using her thumbs to point at her back.  
  
Sana tries to not look at her butt. “It does! I’m so proud of Chaeng! As well as Jeongyeon and Nayeon for helping make them, right?”  
  
Mina shrugs, turning back to Sana with half a chuckle. “Wouldn’t know, you and I were sitting outside most of the night.”  
  
“Ah, right,” Sana mumbles, realizing that maybe it wasn’t a dream after all. She sticks her tongue out while wiggling her brow, regaining her composure. “Oopsie! Didn’t mean to steal your attention all night!” She makes sure to add a wink and brow waggle for good measure.  
  
“Go get dressed, will you?” Mina laughs, gently pushing Sana toward the bathroom before turning back and exiting the cabin. Her presence is immediately missed, and Sana doesn’t like how empty the cabin feels without Mina, without the others. She shakes her head, realizing that she has been lingering in the same spot, before heading to the bathroom.  
  
The shower finishes as quickly as Sana can manage while maintaining proper hygiene, not wanting to feel like she’s dragging the group behind more than she probably already is. She appreciates that everyone is willing to wait until the group is together in order to have breakfast, but she can already feel Momo’s glare permeating through the walls of the cabin for making them wait to eat. Momo is ravenous in the morning.  
  
Throwing on the tank top and some denim shorts, Sana walks out of the cabin and smiles at the girls waiting around on the porch, Dahyun and Chaeyoung sitting on the porch swing with Tzuyu while the others hang around the porch steps, chatting away. Her presence acts as a cue for them to all stand up, sending their own smiles – or in Momo’s case, a side-eye and scowl – in Sana’s direction.  
  
“Took you long enough,” Momo grumbles, leaning her head on Mina’s and crossing her arms. Mina seems amused, a small smile tugging at her lips.  
  
Sana scoffs, “You act like Mina and I didn’t have to wait for you on the first day while you were in the bathroom!”  
  
“You weren’t even with Mina and I when I went to the bathroom in the first place!” Momo whines indignantly, “You just decided to join us! Mina would wait for me forever, right?” It doesn’t help Mina’s grin from growing bit by bit when Momo turns toward her, pouting with big round eyes and grabbing her hands.  
  
Mina chuckles but gives Momo a genuine smile. “Of course.”  
  
“See?!”  
  
“Oh, so you’re okay with Mina waiting forever for you but you won’t wait a little bit for me, Momo?” Sana complains, walking up and wrapping her arms around both Momo and Mina, though it’s mostly for the sake of giving Momo a light smack on the shoulder as punishment.  
  
“Correct,” Momo giggles, rewarded with another hit.

* * *

  
The day begins as usual, with a breakfast session that is filled with surprisingly animated conversation; so much so that Sana isn’t sure her vaguely groggy self can handle it. Dahyun and Chaeyoung have taken it upon themselves to write funny phrases onto their plate with egg yolks, allowing Momo to decide the winner by eating the egg of whoever wrote something funnier. It doesn’t really dawn on them, for whatever reason, that they’re only lessening their own breakfast and adding to Momo’s. Sana believes that Momo is completely aware, but much too weak to deny the possibility of getting free eggs.  
  
Tzuyu and Mina are engrossed in a conversation regarding an old story from their days back in high school; something about a shelter they once volunteered at and how it had a haunted bathroom that the pets would all stare at when passing by. Nayeon and Jeongyeon talk mostly amongst themselves this morning, though a lot of it is clearly about the previous mud run they had been in and the memories that accompanied it. Jihyo kindly keeps Sana’s dazed mind company, speaking lightheartedly about an internship opportunity to ward off the increasing dread that Sana is feeling toward the inevitable physical torment that the camp has so rudely dubbed a fun mud run.  
  
They decide to do a joint activity together amongst the nine of them, and ultimately jewelry wins out as the majority vote versus photography. Today’s jewelry course is focused on creating simple rings, and Sana has never hammered anything more than she has had to hammer this strip of metal on a stick. But the girls have decided to hammer all of their initials into each of their individual rings as a memento to their experience together as a cabin, and it’s so cute that Sana forgets how much she would have rather done photography. She messes up the placements for a few of the initials, but she still holds back a smile through a bit lip as she sets the initials “M.M.” in place.  
  
Twice make sure to drop their rings off at the cabin before making their way toward the camp store, as a result of Mina’s suggestion that they would probably need to keep their hair out of their faces as much as possible during the race. Nayeon thinks a perfect solution for this, aside from everyone merely tying their hair up, is getting matching rainbow bandanas to wear. Sana manages to avoid a pointed smack from Nayeon when she laughs about how they’ll be looking like a pride parade at the obstacle course but, nonetheless, the laughter spreads amongst the group as well as Nayeon, who generously purchases everyone’s bandana.  
  
Sana glances at the sky as they make their way toward the location of the mud run, and she’s grateful to see that the sky is clear, unlike yesterday. The warmth of the sun kisses her skin, and she briefly suppresses the instinctual desire to mope on the way to the mud run.  
  
After all, it isn’t that big of a deal.

* * *

  
“This is… big,” Dahyun is the only one to comment once they arrive at the mud run. There is a silence that follows her observation, as though the girls all need to take a moment to absorb the situation they’re about to get into.  
  
Nayeon was right back at the swimming hole. It’s essentially a massive track with multiple lanes, with multiple types of obstacles along the way until the finishing line at the very end. More concerning, however, is the extreme amount of mud. It isn’t as though Sana expected no mud or that there wouldn’t be a decent amount, but she can’t help but feel caught off-guard by the sheer quantity. Supposedly a lot of it is artificially done; clean soil used and purposely soaked.  
  
There is no way anyone will be able to come out of this clean, she thinks.  
  
Some of the other cabins are waiting around the starting line, waiting for orders from the counselors nearby. Twice make their way over to join the rest, still trapped in an anxiously quiet tension that Sana is not a fan of, and they listen carefully while the counselors explain how the mud run is going to go down. They won’t know their assigned obstacle until they’re called for it in the moment, they must stay in the appropriate cabin lane, mustn’t purposely disrupt other cabins, mustn’t cheat around the obstacles, must follow the rules per section if any apply, and they have to bring the small flag to the end in order to win. A counselor will be with each cabin, and some counselors will be at certain parts of the obstacle course if needed – Sana already notices a few counselors waiting by a certain section ahead. She also notices the amount of both shallow and deep pools of mud along the whole way. She grimaces.  
  
“Alright, girls! Let’s get our bandanas on,” Jihyo says suddenly, breaking the silence amongst their group once the counselors have walked back to the sidelines of the lane. As the girls walk toward their designated counselor, they begin to tie their hair up in varying ways, making sure to don the rainbow bandanas they got as headbands. Some prefer it more directly on the forehead, some prefer it midway along the cranium, but they all look super cute, regardless of the positioning. Chaeyoung is the only one with not enough hair to tie it up, so she settles for a traditionally more boyish style of lining up the folded bandana straight along the diameter of her head. Even Sana can’t help but blush at the handsome look, especially enjoying the way Chaeyoung’s stylized hair hangs over the fabric of the bandana perfectly.  
  
Nayeon takes out some black eyeliner from her denim pocket, quickly drawing a singular pair of thick horizontal lines on everyone’s cheeks. Dahyun had suggested it; claiming they would look like warriors heading into battle, and most of them laughed but ultimately agreed that it would be fun.  
  
Sana snickers to herself when she notices some other cabins looking their way, but she understands why. They truly are the only group with any semblance of outfit coordination, let alone the added touch of the battlefield makeup and rainbow motif.  
  
Jihyo grins as she gently pinches Momo’s cheek softly. “Even with this deadly warrior getup, you’re still so adorable.”  
  
“Hey,” Momo pouts, though she inevitably grins before reciprocating, “You, too!”  
  
“And what about me, Jihyo?” Sana butts in, batting her eyes at her friend.  
  
“I guess you’re cute,” Jihyo smirks, nudging Sana.  
  
“You ‘guess?!’”  
  
Momo cackles, “I win.”  
  
“No!” Sana huffs, draping her body on Jihyo’s side before adding, “Where did this favoritism come from, Jihyo?! You don’t have to pretend for Momo’s sake…”  
  
Momo shoots a glare at Sana. “Oi!”  
  
“Oh, please,” Jihyo laughs, “How are you two this easy to mess with every time?”  
  
Sana frowns. “I am not easy!”  
  
Jihyo and Momo give her a look that she doesn’t completely appreciate, so she makes a small whining noise before turning around. Who do they think they are, claiming she’s easy to mess with? Nothing about her is easy, not a damned th—  
  
“It’s okay, I think you look cute.”  
  
Sana can feel her ears warming up at the sight of Mina giving her a small smile along with those words, immediately shutting up her train of thought.  
  
She clears her throat. “And that’s _very_ cute, right?”  
  
“Right,” Mina agrees with a soft but very genuine laugh. Sana beams.  
  
“You, too!”  
  
“Shh, they’re starting,” Jeongyeon says to the group, and they all turn toward the front, watching as the counselors eye all of the groups like hawks for a moment, seemingly thinking about who to pick first.  
  
Sana bites her lip, looking at Mina who has now turned and whose unnecessarily pretty shoulders tempt her just the right amount. With little warning, she wraps her arms around Mina from behind in a back hug, placing her chin on Mina’s shoulder. The movement surprises the latter, causing her to squeak softly in shock for a moment before ultimately giggling quietly. She doesn’t move away or ask Sana to stop, which Sana shamelessly looks very pleased about. She doesn’t need to look in order to guess that Jihyo and Momo are probably snickering over her, but honestly? Sana doesn’t give a damn.  
  
Their primary counselor for the mud run is Park Jin-young, who asks them to refer to him as JYP after he walks over and introduces himself. They ask if he’s the same “JYP” behind the camp name itself, but he refuses so quickly that none of them believe him in the slightest. None of them have ever seen this man on the campground in the last two days, and Jeongyeon suggests that he is the type of boss who only shows up for special events.  
  
His eyes scan the group after getting to know their names.  
  
“Is there anything to picking someone at random, or is it genuinely random?” Dahyun asks.  
  
“Completely random,” JYP answers, before the aim of his pointer finger lands on Sana. She blinks, but he clarifies, “You first, Sana.”  
  
“You’ll do great,” Mina encourages as Sana unwraps herself from their hug, whining.  
  
“Thank you,” Sana says in a soft grumble, which makes Mina crack a fraction of a smile.  
  
“Alright, since the first section is the most straightforward, I’m just going to pick the next two for the following part,” JYP says.  
  
“Two?” Nayeon questions.  
  
JYP smirks, pointing at her and then at Mina. “You two.”  
  
Mina and Nayeon step forward as well, looking at one another with a sense of uncertainty.  
  
“What do you think it is?” Mina asks. They won’t be told until they are directed to their section of the lane, but the area after the first isn’t really giving any obvious hints by the looks of it.  
  
Nayeon scoffs, “Something with two girls in the mud can only go one of two ways. And, frankly, I’m in a loving relationship, so I –”  
  
“Can you cut it out for _one_ _second_?” Jeongyeon scolds, cutting Nayeon off by swatting her from behind.  
  
Nayeon looks over her shoulder, eyeing Jeongyeon with a smirk. “Jealous? Who knows? Mina might make a good partner…”  
  
Jeongyeon rolls her eyes and groans, Mina blinks but giggles awkwardly, and Sana is grateful for her self-control, otherwise she would have smacked Nayeon, too. Just another day at camp.  
  
JYP gives Sana the go-ahead, handing her a small flag to wield, and she quickly walks over to the starting line with Twice’s loud cheers already behind her. She stretches her arms as she nears the line, not exactly excited but also not willing to give anything but her best for the sake of everyone else, even if she thinks this is stupid.  
  
The counselor at the front gives the starting girls a quick look over, nodding to himself before announcing, “Alright. First task is simple.”  
  
Sana eyes the deep stretch of mud in front of her with a hint of a scowl. Is it?  
  
The counselor continues, “This is a thick pool of mud that will likely reach the abdomen for the majority of you. Simply get through it, then hand your flags off to the next pair. If you’d like, you can return to the sideline once you’ve handed your flag off.”  
  
The counselor turns and gives some kind of hand signal toward the groups on the side, and Sana watches as JYP sends Nayeon and Mina over toward the section ahead of Sana’s, where there are extra counselors already waiting. They quickly begin to tie a pair of mutual legs together between the two, both Nayeon and Mina awkwardly shuffling while the adults bind them together by the ankles. Sana doesn’t need confirmation to know that, whatever they’re doing, they’ll be three-legged.  
  
Her grasp on the flag in her hand tightens when the counselor asks if the girls are ready. The nods that follow only serve to make Sana feel a little more nervous, and the step to the side that the counselor takes doesn’t help to calm her nerves either, because it means at any moment she’ll start to hear a countdown.  
  
Puffing her cheeks at the reminder of what she’ll be running through, she quickly glances over to the sideline where the rest of Twice are waiting and anxiously watching. Jihyo and Momo notice her gaze first, and they both shoot her some thumbs up as well as a hearty “You can do it, Sana!” Ahead, Nayeon seems to perk up at this and turns her head over her shoulder to look at Sana.  
  
Nayeon smirks, though it soon cracks open into a smile. “You better!”  
  
“You will!” Mina speaks up from beside her, her head similarly over her shoulder as she raises a small but shyly encouraging fist. Her voice is soft somehow even when she’s trying to speak loudly, and that’s just too cute. The sight of the two of them staring back at her confidently, as well as the sudden cheering from the rest of the Twice cabin from the sideline, is enough to move Sana’s sentimental heart.  
  
A silence falls as the counselor counts down to the start, inevitably yelling, “Go!”  
  
Swallowing any hesitance, Sana immediately breaks into a sprint and forces herself to resist flinching when her legs plummet into the lukewarm mud. She hates how easily she sinks into it, the contents of the pool filling to just halfway up her abdomen as she tries her best to kick her legs into gear within the mud’s depths. It’s unlike mud she’s ever dealt with, perhaps purposely made to be more like normal liquid to make it easier to get through, and the consistency is slightly uncomfortable.  
  
Sana can see the girls to her side gaining a miniscule amount of a lead ahead of her. She groans and tucks the stick part of the flag into her hair, giving her arms ample swinging room that manages to help her push through the mud quicker. By the time she reaches the end, she’s more or less tied with the frontrunner among the other girls to her side, and she tries not to feel too relieved when she spots a nearing Nayeon and Mina, with the latter’s hand extended and ready to grab the flag.  
  
She lets out a hefty breath as she rises from the pool, bringing her hand up to grab the flag from her hair as she sprints toward her cabin mates. There’s not much she can say, between shortness of breath and a lack of time, but she offers her girls an encouraging grin when she hands the flag off to Mina, and they only nod before running forward themselves, on par with the rest of the three-legged spectacles.  
  
Not necessarily having to stay put, Sana leaves her section and joins the rest of Twice on the sideline. It felt like a blur, and she hopes that she doesn’t have to do anything else.  
  
“Nice job!” Momo praises, patting Sana’s shoulder. The rest of the girls offer similar words and proud smiles, but everyone’s attention is brought back to Nayeon and Mina. From the sideline, it’s a little more obvious that they’re meant to be running through a similar pool as Sana, though it’s significantly longer and shallower. It’s likely a safety precaution due to the nature of the three-legged factor, but Sana can’t help but feel cheated by how deep she had to dive into the mud in her section. Looking down at herself, she cringes at the sight of mud caking every inch of her up to a very specific, almost comical point where there’s an almost perfect border line between mud and clean fabric, save for a few splashes along the tank top and her arms.  
  
Too afraid to attempt to brush anything off, she begins to cheer alongside her cabin when she continues to watch Nayeon and Mina. Although the distance between the designated sideline and the track isn’t incredibly far, it still amuses Sana that Nayeon’s voice is loud and clear.  
  
“We’ve got this, Mina! Don’t fall behind now!” It’s enough to make the cabin laugh, especially Jeongyeon, given that it’s very clear from her voice that Nayeon is desperate for air and that Mina is the smoother of the two when it comes to leading their mutual leg along. The spectating girls gasp a few times when it looks as though Nayeon and Mina stumble, afraid that they might trip, but they always seem to recover. Whether it’s Nayeon grabbing Mina’s hand and steadying her, or Mina firmly wrapping an arm around Nayeon’s shoulder to stabilize them, they are both at the ready to help one another while they race across, sometimes falling behind and sometimes catching up to the other competitors in their section.  
  
“You,” JYP suddenly says, with a pointed finger toward Tzuyu. “You’re up next. Move along.”  
  
Tzuyu spares a few glances to her cabin mates, even receiving a small squeeze of the hand from Chaeyoung before running ahead toward the next section.  
  
It isn’t until then that Sana realizes that she hasn’t taken a look toward the next part yet. The section that Tzuyu runs toward has a wooden wall extending pretty high up, maybe about twenty feet if Sana had any semblance of hope at being able to guesstimate measurements. Needless to say, it’s tall and Sana’s mouth gapes when she takes note of the ziplines that await at the top of the wall.  
  
She’s nervous enough to ask, “Is that safe?”  
  
JYP looks at her, then where she’s pointing. “Ah, yes. It looks more dangerous than it is, but they’re fastened well and there’s a pool underneath it for people who fall off.”  
  
“It’s intentional?!”  
  
“It’s fine,” JYP chuckles, before clarifying, “We’re not the only ones to do this. The hard part is trying to cling on while it brings you to the other end of the pool. If you do a good job, you only need to take a few steps in the pool underneath before finishing that part. If you fall early, then you have to go through the entire length of the pool, which is much slower. Make sense?”  
  
“Yeah,” Sana says with a pout, not entirely appreciating that their youngest cabin member will be dangling for dear life over a pool of mud. It’s not that ziplines sound foreign to her or that she’s particularly scared of them; she’s just worried at the idea of a zipline being haphazardly put together for the sake of an obstacle course.  
  
“That sounds fun,” Chaeyoung mumbles from beside her.  
  
Sana shoots her an incredulous look. “You’re not worried?!”  
  
“Why? Tzuyu will be fine. She’s Tzuyu.”  
  
“I think it’s scary, too,” Dahyun says, looking at Sana, “I’m glad I didn’t get that. But I agree with Chaeng, if only for the sake of calming myself down. I think she’ll be fine.”  
  
The faith of the younger ones is enough for Sana to relax on the subject, turning back just as Nayeon and Mina reach the end of their stretch and approach Tzuyu, who is standing at the bottom of the wall alongside a row of other cabin girls. When they hand the flag to Tzuyu, the latter gives them a determined nod before turning and immediately climbing up the ladder of the wall. Sana is happy to watch as Nayeon and Mina wait until Tzuyu has safely made it to the top before undoing their three-legged bindings.  
  
The Twice girls on the sideline adjust their spot, moving further along so that they have a better view of the upcoming parts of the track, starting with Tzuyu’s section. Nayeon and Mina return, now free from one another but nonetheless with their arms over one another’s shoulders and smiling when warmly welcomed back. They’re praised for their efforts briefly before everyone’s eyes are on Tzuyu, watching as she boldly grips onto her zipline and flings herself forward with no hint of reluctance. She manages to make it look graceful somehow, with her ponytail flying behind her as she makes it about three-fourths of the way across before falling into the pool.  
  
JYP quickly snaps his fingers and points at Jihyo. “Your turn, run along.”  
  
“O-Okay,” Jihyo blinks, stirred away from her attention on Tzuyu before waving to her cabin mates and running toward the upcoming section.  
  
“Let’s go, Tzuyu!” Jeongyeon yells, and the other girls follow suit as Tzuyu rises from underneath the mud and makes her way forward, with only one other girl from another cabin having made it fully across via the zipline. Despite being one person behind, Tzuyu’s expression displays a sense of resolve; a determination to see her part through to the end despite the discouraging presence of someone ahead. She trudges through the mud, using the force of her height to bring her forward.  
  
“She’s covered from head to toe,” Mina quietly comments as she stands next to Sana.  
  
“I know! She fell into the whole thing!” Sana frowns, noticing how even Tzuyu’s eyebrows are caked with mud when she walks out of the pool and hands the dirtied flag to Jihyo. From what Sana can see, they exchange a brief but warm smile before Jihyo charges forward and Tzuyu begins her trek back to the rest of the girls, applause and praise properly waiting for her.  
  
The part ahead is perhaps the most merciful so far, at least in Sana’s eyes. There are many tires sprawled along the section, firmly sunk into the mud and awaiting the camp girls to run across them in a militaristic fashion. JYP kindly informs them that trying to cheat and run on the rubber will result in elimination, but Sana knows that Jihyo is sensible enough to figure that out on her own. She is already doing her best, clinging onto the flag as her knees go into overdrive, making her way through the tires at the cost of mud splashing up onto her legs and clothes whenever her feet lands in one of the holes.  
  
“I know most of my abdomen is covered in mud, but can I hold you?” Sana asks, turning to Mina who is much more well-off in the mud department.  
  
Mina looks at Sana’s half-muddied tank top before chuckling. “Sure.”  
  
It takes less than a second for Sana to beam at Mina and wrap her arms around her from behind again, her chin comfortably resting on Mina’s shoulder. “This is nice.”  
  
“It’s alright,” Mina says with a hint of a smirk, breaking easily into a giggle when Sana whines.  
  
“You’re so mean!”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Mina smiles, “What can I do to make it up to you?”  
  
Sana pretends to contemplate, humming until she eventually snickers. “Tell Momo I’m your favorite.”  
  
Mina gasps, though it is clearly for comedic effect, “I would be a traitor.”  
  
Sana raises an eyebrow and smirks. “But would you be a liar?”  
  
She’s surprised when Mina turns her head a toward her, their faces a mere inch or so apart with their eyes set on one another’s. There is a brief moment where Mina seems to be suddenly aware of the distance, leaving her with a bashful expression for a fraction of a second before donning a subtly smug smile in Sana’s direction. Sana isn’t sure what kind of expression she, herself, is wearing. She hopes that it’s some semblance of a coy smile, but a part of her fears that her face has betrayed her by turning her into a tomato.  
  
“Bold of you to assume three days with you is enough to beat half a year with Momo.”  
  
“Wow,” Sana scoffs, “A _second_ with me is enough to beat half a year with Momo.”  
  
Mina laughs heartily at that, though it is short-lived when Momo reaches over and gives Sana’s cheek a hard pinch.  
  
“You two aren’t exactly silent, you know,” Momo grumbles, side-eyeing Sana when she begins whining in faux pain. But she looks to Mina, grinning suddenly as she says, “Thank you for keeping your faith in me.”  
  
Mina smiles. “Of course.”  
  
Momo seems satisfied with that, letting go of Sana’s cheek and cackling to herself when Sana shoots her a pointed look. Momo eventually rejoins the rest of the group in cheering for Jihyo, but not without narrowing her eyes at Sana one last time and saying, “You’re lucky that I love you.”  
  
Sana sticks her tongue out. “You, too.” But then Momo is back with the others, and Sana is left with Mina again. She decides to be self-indulgent, using her arms to give Mina a gentle squeeze, and she feels delighted when Mina’s hands lower and rest themselves on top of Sana’s.  
  
JYP’s voice catches her attention. “Dahyun and Jeongyeon, you’re next.”  
  
“Just you and me, kid,” Jeongyeon smirks, ignoring Dahyun’s pout at the word “kid.” With an encouraging pat on the back, Jeongyeon leads the two of them to the section ahead. Although Sana can’t hear what is being said, there is a lingering moment where Jeongyeon and Dahyun frown at one another when the counselor at their section has finished speaking to them.  
  
“Alright,” Sana smirks, chin comfortably resting on Mina’s shoulder again. “Momo’s gone now, so you can say the truth.”  
  
“The truth is that if you spend more time with me, I’ll think about it,” Mina whispers, and Sana enjoys the smile on Mina’s face even as she tries to be sneaky. It also helps that Mina has just implied that Sana should spend more time with her, and Sana bites down on her bottom lip to suppress a grin.  
  
“Sounds like a plan,” Sana mumbles happily, allowing herself to relax in this position as her gaze returns to the track. She grins when she sees Jihyo jumping out of the last tire, having caught up to the girl in the lead. The rest of Twice gasp in shock when Dahyun grabs the flag from Jihyo, only to swiftly hop onto Jeongyeon’s back for a piggyback ride.  
  
“I can’t believe I don’t have my phone right now!” Chaeyoung laughs, amused by how uncomfortable Dahyun looks bouncing on Jeongyeon’s back. Their section seems to be the least wet. Instead, it’s thick mud that makes an unfortunate _“splooshing”_ sound with every heavy step, loud enough to be heard even from the sideline.  
  
Nayeon looks concerned, though Sana quickly realizes it’s for the wrong reason, “Jeongyeon! Be careful! I need you in peak physical condition for when we have –”  
  
Jihyo thankfully cuts her off with a hard nudge as she returns to the group. “There are tons of people around. You really want to yell something so ‘not-safe-for-work’ like that?”  
  
“I am _very_ loud and proud, thank you very much,” Nayeon retorts, her mock offense taking the form of a gawk. “Besides, I need to give her some kind of motivation.”  
  
“I think getting Dahyun off her back as soon as possible is motivation enough,” Tzuyu says softly, though there’s a hint of amusement in her smile. Chaeyoung doesn’t hesitate to give her a very subtle fist bump, despite Tzuyu’s muddied hand, which even Sana thinks is surprisingly corny.  
  
Sana doesn’t feel too worried, though, about the piggybacking girls. As precarious as their positioning may seem, Jeongyeon and Dahyun look very determined, and they’re comically loud in yelling at one another to get through it. She can hear it from where she is even now.  
  
“Don’t slip, Jeongyeon! We can do this! I’m riding on you – literally! I have so much faith! Go, go, go, go!”  
  
“You better hold on tight to that flag! You’re our ticket to winning this thing! Nayeon will kill both of us if we mess this up!”  
  
“We should probably focus more on holding tight to one another and not the flag because I’m starting to wobble a –”  
  
Sana can feel Mina’s hand squeeze over the top of her own, her body tensing within Sana’s arms as the sideline hushes at the sight of Jeongyeon almost tripping for a moment. Sana loosens her set jaw when she watches Jeongyeon quickly recover, only to continue moving forward at a more consistent pace. Dahyun’s awkward laughing is loud and clearly dazed.  
  
“What part of ‘don’t slip’ didn’t you hear?!” Dahyun’s whine sounds funny, as though she’s still processing the relief of them not falling over. Overall, her expression is very perplexed.  
  
“Piggybacking other people through thick mud isn’t exactly something I do every day, you know!” Jeongyeon yells through huffed breaths.  
  
Nayeon hollers loudly, “You got this, babe!”  
  
Dahyun seems to hear that while cleaning off the mud from the flag with the back of Jeongyeon’s tank top, and she turns her head to furrow her brow in Nayeon’s direction. “What about me?!”  
  
Nayeon puts a hand on her hip, yelling back in slight disbelief, “Dahyun, you are literally just holding onto my girlfriend’s back, give me a break and let me be gay!”  
  
“Fair!” Dahyun chuckles, giving Nayeon a quick thumb up before holding back onto Jeongyeon again, patting the girl beneath her encouragingly on the shoulder. “Let’s go!”  
  
Sana bites down the urge to giggle. Phrases like “let’s go” and “we can do this” seem more befitting to something serious with more at stake, but hearing these sorts of things while Jeongyeon and Dahyun awkwardly make their way and practically shuffle through the muddy lane as one big entity is very funny to her. But nonetheless, she’s cheering and is happy to see the teamwork at full speed.  
  
“Hey, you,” JYP says, a finger already toward Chaeyoung. “Get set.”  
  
“Got it, boss,” Chaeyoung gives him a sarcastic salute, chuckling quietly to herself as she hastily makes her way over to the next section. Sana smiles, watching her small figure stray further and further. Chaeyoung doesn’t seem to want to take these things too seriously, and it shows. Sana can relate; really, she thinks this whole thing is stupid. But they both promised yesterday that they would genuinely do their best at their sections, so Sana is looking forward to seeing Chaeyoung put her best foot forward, even if that means putting it in the mud.  
  
“It’s almost done,” Mina comments quietly, as though just to Sana, “It’s only Momo left after Chaeng.”  
  
Sana glances over to Momo, who seems very engrossed in conversation with Jihyo and Tzuyu, still complimenting both of them on a job well done and sharing a few laughs about how much their level of filth is contrasting from one another.  
  
“I can’t tell if this is going by quickly or slowly,” Sana jokes.  
  
Mina chuckles, “I know. I’m kind of glad I went early.”  
  
“Me, too! Going first meant getting it out of the way faster. Although, I hate that I’ve been in mud the longest,” Sana pouts, but she gives Mina a small smile when the latter reassuringly pats her hands.  
  
Jeongyeon and Dahyun surprisingly take the lead, despite their almost-mishap, though only by a small amount. Chaeyoung gives the girls two thumbs up – one for each, of course – as they approach her, and she briefly does an exaggerated, but quick, handshake with Dahyun before grabbing the flag and placing it in her mouth.  
  
Despite how it sounds, it’s necessary. As Twice move up along the sideline to get a better view of Chaeyoung’s section, it’s clear that she’ll be crawling on her stomach through mud under a very low foundation of netting. Sana wonders if Chaeyoung’s height is an advantage or disadvantage in this case, but it doesn’t stop Chaeyoung from going full speed ahead and immediately diving into the ground beneath the netting. Despite a clear grimace on her face, she manages to grip the flag tightly between her lips while pushing herself through the thick mud underneath.  
  
By the time Dahyun and Jeongyeon return, Dahyun is already supportively screaming out Chaeyoung’s name alongside Tzuyu, and Jeongyeon has her arms around Nayeon. Sana would swear that she can hear Nayeon whispering about how she’s the only girl Jeongyeon gets to hold onto tightly from now on, with Jeongyeon snickering in return at the miniscule amount of jealousy, but Sana chooses to pretend that it’s just the wind.  
  
Momo is leaning against Jihyo, their arms wrapped around one another in a hug while Momo waits for her turn. She plays idly with Jihyo’s hair, not fully paying attention though occasionally yelling and cheering for Chaeyoung as well, and she appears to be listening attentively as Jihyo speaks to her encouragingly, often rubbing her head and assuring Momo that food will be readily available at the mess hall afterward.  
  
“She’s really fast,” Mina comments, bringing Sana’s attention back to Chaeyoung. It’s true. The minor lead that Jeongyeon and Dahyun claimed is significantly larger in size now, with Chaeyoung’s small frame easily pushing through while the other cabins’ girls seem more reluctant in their haste. Maybe none of them were prepared to get their faces so close to the ground, which Sana now realizes makes her even more grateful for how casual Chaeyoung often is.  
  
“Come on, Chaengie!” Sana yells, grateful when Mina chimes in with her own “woo.”  
  
Chaeyoung is three-fourths of the way through when JYP turns to Momo and says, “You’re up next.”  
  
“Okay!” Momo says, getting one last squeeze from Jihyo and some words of encouragement from the others before jogging her way toward the last section of the course.  
  
It occurs to Sana that she hadn’t looked at the final area yet, because she finally notices the big wall with ropes dangling down to the bottom. The other end is occupied by large slides that meet at the lip of a large mud pool, which seems to be the last stretch just before the finish line. But when she notices that Momo’s jog has slowed to a light walk upon approaching the section, the unfortunate realization dawns on her.  
  
“Momo can’t do that,” Sana says softly, in what can barely be considered even a whisper, but it’s enough to catch Mina’s attention.  
  
“What can’t Momo do?” Mina turns her head, her own expression shifting into furrowed concern when she sees Sana’s worried gaze. Sana merely points, understanding that Mina had potentially been too engrossed by the competition so far to notice the last obstacle as well. When Mina finally turns to look, it takes her only a brief moment to register what Sana is implying. “You’re right.”  
  
It's easy to tell that Momo is frozen, looking up at the height of the massive wooden wall in front of her with big eyes that Sana only notices after she breaks apart from Mina and runs further up the sideline to get a better look. Mina easily trails behind her, and the rest of the girls follow suit, perhaps under the impression that both Sana and Mina are making their way up ahead of time to simply get a better look at the finale. Jihyo, however, seems to quickly take the hint and is the first to speak up, her loud voice clear as day.  
  
She yells, “Momo! You don’t have to do it!”  
  
Nayeon blinks, confused. “What?”  
  
“Momo can’t do heights,” Mina explains.  
  
Momo doesn’t seem to register Jihyo’s initial call, a conflicted expression plastered on her face. Sana hates that she can recognize that look; hates that she knows what it means when Momo’s big eyes are glossy beneath a pair of contemplative brows, her lips remaining in a firm line with little movement anywhere else. Sometimes she also hates how much of a good person Momo is, how kind she is, how much she wants to make others happy as much as others make her happy; because then she’s in situations like this, where she’s torn between herself and wanting to push herself for the sake of something outside of her. It’s just a meaningless competition with no real stakes, Sana wants to scream, but she can’t bring herself to do it because she knows that it wouldn’t change Momo’s mind.  
  
“A rope climb up a wall that high… No thanks,” Dahyun mumbles, gaping a bit at the sight as she also begins to notice the intensity of the last obstacle.  
  
Chaeyoung reaches the end of her mud crawl, standing up and clearly trying not to focus on how absolutely caked her front side and feet are in mud. She swiftly moves up to Momo, removing the flag from her mouth in preparation to give it to her, before pausing and seemingly noticing the way that Momo is stiff. Chaeyoung isn’t yelling when Sana sees her mouthing the question “Momo?” before looking back to the group.  
  
“Momo is scared of heights!” Sana yells, catching the way that Chaeyoung’s eyes search their group for an answer to a silent question. Chaeyoung registers the words instantly, her gaze traveling back to Momo before looking down at the flag in her hand and then up at the wall.  
  
Momo finally seems to stir when Chaeyoung suddenly walks past her, flag back in her mouth. She even tries to grab Chaeyoung by the arm as she realizes what the latter is doing, but Chaeyoung easily dodges the attempted swipe and, instead, shoots Momo two finger guns before turning and hopping onto the rope. Without hesitation, she hoists her body up so that she can walk up the wall for as long as she manages to hold tightly onto the rope.  
  
“Is that allowed?” Jeongyeon asks as JYP catches up with them, her eyes darting between him and the rope climb. Everyone seems interested in the answer, briefly turning to him.  
  
JYP nods. “No rules against taking your fellow member’s section for them since you’re not technically breaking the rule about remaining in your cabin’s lane. Although, she’ll be at a disadvantage due to not only being muddy but also because she’s _freshly_ muddy. That stuff is wet, and—”  
  
Almost as if on cue, the brief yelp of pain from Chaeyoung pulls all of Twice’s attention back to her. She was already almost halfway up the rope before the group had turned to look at JYP, but now she seems to be slightly behind from where she was, and Sana can only guess that she slipped from what the muddied streak against the wood is telling her. Chaeyoung looks momentarily dazed, shocked but apparently relieved before returning to her climb up the wall. However, Sana isn’t a fan of the way Chaeyoung is going slower now, with a wince accompanying every step.  
  
Between the pause with her and Momo, as well as her fall, Chaeyoung’s significant lead gap has decreased intensely. She’s still slightly ahead, but the other cabins’ girls are very nearly neck and neck.  
  
“Come on, Chaeng!” Tzuyu suddenly yells, the voice least expected to rise above the threshold. And then it feels obvious that they had only been staring in shocked silence, and the guilt bubbles in Sana’s throat until she, too, inevitably begins cheering loudly for Chaeyoung. The small, determined smirk on Chaeyoung’s face doesn’t go unnoticed when the entire cabin begins cheering for her. Her toned arms grip onto the rope, knuckles clearly whitened even at a distance as she pulls her way up.  
  
Momo remains in the lane, staying beneath Chaeyoung at the bottom of the rope until the latter reaches the top. Then she runs around the side of the wall to keep watch as Chaeyoung places herself on the slide, immediately sliding down into the pool of mud that Momo anxiously stands beside until Chaeyoung resurfaces, fully covered from head to toe with that flag still managing to hang from her mouth. But alas, she keeps moving forward even while wincing.  
  
Twice cheer loudly, louder than before, as Chaeyoung just barely manages to keep her lead when she climbs out of the pool and crosses the finish line. The girls immediately run over at the sound of the airhorn from the counselor at the end, who lifts Chaeyoung’s arm in victory. She’s breathing heavily and sweating by the time the rest of them catch up, and she drops herself to the ground in order to sit on the grass.  
  
“Chaeng!” Nayeon yells, hands at her hip again, “I love you a lot right now, but you shouldn’t have done that! What happened?!”  
  
Chaeyoung can barely get the words out, “I heard… Sana saying that… Momo couldn’t… do it…”  
  
“I could’ve done it!” Momo frowns, getting on her knees and grabbing Chaeyoung’s muddied hands. She adds, “It was scary, but I would’ve pushed myself! You should’ve let me!”  
  
“Nah,” Chaeyoung says simply, waving her hand dismissively.  
  
Sana pouts. “Are you hurt? You looked like you were in pain…”  
  
“I slipped for a second on the wall and I think I sprained my ankle. But it’s no worse than that, I’ll get it checked out afterward.”  
  
Momo’s eyes are clearly watering at this point. “You shouldn’t have done that for me. Now you’re hurt! I feel like such a letdown, I didn’t even participate…”  
  
“Hey,” Chaeyoung smiles, removing one of her hands from Momo’s to give the girl a few gentle pats on the cheek, “It’s fine, isn’t it? Just a dumb game, and the slip was a complete accident. You’re not a letdown. Look,” she rubs some of the mud from her hand against Momo’s cheek with a chuckle, “now you’re muddy, too.”  
  
Although Momo manages to give Chaeyoung a small smile, Sana can still see the guilt in her eyes. But she’s sure that once Chaeyoung is officially checked and cleared about her ankle, Momo will feel better as well. In the meantime, she’s grateful when Dahyun seems to catch the hint for lightening the mood, too.  
  
“And now I’m _officially_ the cleanest one. Completely untouched, might I add! Thanks for taking the mud for the two of us, Jeongyeon,” Dahyun says triumphantly with a wink and a finger pointed over in Jeongyeon’s direction, who merely gives her a dirty look in return.  
  
“Nope,” Tzuyu softly chuckles with a smirk, pulling Dahyun into a tight hug that instantly rubs mud off onto her.  
  
“Tzuyu, no! You can’t do this,” Dahyun whines dramatically, shutting her eyes tightly as Tzuyu goes the extra mile to rub her chin on Dahyun’s forehead. “This is evil! Nefarious! Other words that mean you should stop this!” Tzuyu only laughs, and the rest of the girls join in, too, even if Dahyun’s is more panicked and intentionally whinier than everyone else’s.  
  
“Stop trying to steal the attention,” Jihyo jokes, helping Chaeyoung up from the floor before nodding her head to Jeongyeon, “and help me cheer for this girl! No more frowning!”  
  
Jeongyeon quickly swoops in, snickering as Chaeyoung’s eyes practically bulge out of their sockets when they begin to lift her off the ground. The momentary wobbling is enough to incite the urgency of the rest of Twice to join in, supporting Chaeyoung from underneath as they begin to hoist her up and gently bounce her in the air.  
  
“You did so well, Chaengie!” Sana yells, amidst the “hip hip hoorays.”  
  
“You were awesome,” Mina agrees, smiling.  
  
Jihyo laughs. “You were like an animal out there!”  
  
“Took that wall on like a beast,” Nayeon smirks. “Who knew, given your size?”  
  
Chaeyoung looks like she wants to give a retort, but Jeongyeon doesn’t give her the chance. “Yeah, if it wasn’t for Tzuyu’s age, you would be the baby of the group between your age _and_ height.”  
  
“Baby Beast!” Momo laughs, though she’s surprised when everyone begins to chant it, much to Chaeyoung’s initial eyeroll.  
  
But as the chant goes on, with the girls gleefully yelling “baby beast,” Chaeyoung’s pout stretches into a wide snaggletoothed grin, and even she plays along by pretending that her hand is a paw and giving the group a good growl, which erupts into louder hollering.  
  
Sana isn’t sure if there is any word that can properly describe the feeling. Teamwork, support, the sweet taste of victory, and glee. These are only parts to a whole that she can’t help but appreciate, something that personifies itself in her eyes, watery and emotional with the strength of this moment that she doesn’t want to end. As stupid as she thought the mud run might’ve been, maybe it had been worth it for a moment as simple and wholesome as this. **  
**  
“Congratulations,” JYP says with a smile as he walks over to the girls with a camera around his neck and a trophy in his hand. “I don’t mean to interrupt you ladies, but we always take a photo of the winning team.” The girls take his arrival as a cue to lower Chaeyoung.  
  
Jeongyeon asks, “Do we get a copy of it?”  
  
“Yes, an email will be sent out once this session is over. You can give us a call if you don’t get it within two weeks,” JYP answers, handing the trophy to Jihyo since she’s the closest to him at the moment. He backs up, putting some space between him and the girls before adding, “You can decide amongst yourselves how you want to pose. We take the trophy back since it’s primarily for the picture, but we’ll give you each a medal after.”  
  
“Chaeng should hold it,” Momo suggests, “Here, I’ll carry you on my shoulders.”  
  
“That’s okay, Mo—”  
  
“Just do it,” Momo insists, aiding Chaeyoung as she climbs onto the taller girl’s back. Momo slowly stands up, taking a moment to properly balance herself as Chaeyoung sits upon her shoulders, grabbing the trophy once Jihyo lifts it up to her.  
  
The girls get closer together, with Momo and Chaeyoung in the center. Sana, Mina, and Jihyo remain on the left, Sana in between the two while holding both their hands up triumphantly, their smiles insanely wide and perhaps particularly gummy on the account of one girl. Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Tzuyu remain on the right, the smiling couple both having an arm wrapped around the other’s waist while each of their free hands gently hold onto Tzuyu’s shoulder, with the latter simply grinning with a peace sign. Dahyun decides to lay down on the grass in the middle, in front of Momo, acting out a ridiculous pose with her side profile to the camera and a dramatic arm over her now dirtied forehead, one knee bent to add some dynamic shape to her form. Momo grins in that classic childishly delighted way, with Chaeyoung’s mouth wide open happily as she holds the trophy above her head.  
  
“This is a great picture,” JYP comments after the click of the camera goes off about three times. “Again, congratulations.”  
  
He takes the trophy and leaves the area along with the other counselors after medals are handed out, and the girls exchange a few looks with one another before erupting into laughter. Sana doesn’t quite know what it is; perhaps the sight of them mostly being drenched in mud in some shape or form is particularly funny or only dawning on them now, or maybe it’s the delayed joy of winning making its way out of their system. But she’s happy, they’re happy, and even Chaeyoung is happy, even when Momo lowers her down only to pick her back up bridal-style to take her to the infirmary.  
  
And that’s okay, because Mina’s hand quietly slips into her own when they all begin their trek back to the cabin, and Sana feels her worry melt away.

* * *

  
The effects of a hot shower after the mud run still follow the girls even as they make their way to the mess hall. Chaeyoung had arrived back slightly late, but the girls didn’t mind waiting until she and Momo got through their showers before heading to dinner together. Chaeyoung had been right; it was simply a sprained ankle, and nothing serious. Any extra pain was simply due to soreness since she had pushed herself through to the end, but Jeongyeon stepped up and insisted on piggybacking her to the mess hall.  
  
“I did it once today, I could do it again without a problem,” was what she had said, and Sana smiles at the gesture as Chaeyoung and Jeongyeon laugh at one another’s newly discovered bad jokes during their walk.  
  
“At least someone shares her humor,” Nayeon snickers, walking alongside Jihyo. “I’m glad she could find someone as lame as her.”  
  
Jihyo raises an eyebrow, smirking. “And you’re not lame?”  
  
“Excuse you, I’m a _loving_ girlfriend who oozes with good humor, thanks.”  
  
“You’re right, I’m also glad she found someone as lame as her,” Jihyo laughs, rewarded with a smack on the shoulder by a now-laughing Nayeon.  
  
Sana has been walking beside Momo, who happens to be between her and Mina. But it’s on purpose, because Sana wants to drape herself over her best friend who is still mumbling about the mud run even two hours later.  
  
“I’m so embarrassed that I just froze up like that. In front of everybody, no less. I have a good body, I should’ve been able to do it without a problem,” Momo sighs.  
  
Sana gently rubs her cheek against Momo’s. “You’re right, you _do_ have a rockin’ bod. But that doesn’t make it any less scary.”  
  
Mina cuts in, “It’s true. A fear of heights is very common. Dahyun also felt nervous when she was just looking at it, so you aren’t alone. It’s understandable why it made you tense up.”  
  
“But we agreed to win for Nayeon and Jeongyeon… I didn’t want to be what held us back,” Momo mumbles, pouting, “I even got excited yesterday telling Jihyo we’d win…”  
  
Sana pinches Momo’s mouth before speaking, “You didn’t hold us back, we still won. Chaeng did it because she wanted to, it’s not like you put a gun to her head. She cared about you and saw that you were afraid; over something reasonable, I might add! You’re still a part of Twice, you still deserve to wear the tank top. Also, had it been any of the other obstacles – well, maybe aside from the zipline that Tzuyu did – you would have done them without hesitating! JYP chose at random! It’s not your fault.”  
  
“Sana’s right,” Mina affirms softly, rubbing Momo’s arm. “I think you’re being too hard on yourself. It was a lot of fun, but it was still just a mandatory and silly competition. It’s nothing for you to put yourself down over.”  
  
Momo groans, “Why do you two have to make so much sense?!”  
  
Sana giggles, “Just consider yourself lucky that it’s Mina and not Jihyo in your other ear. She would’ve made you feel better by force if she had to.”  
  
“I know,” Momo chuckles. “I should perk up before she sees that I’m still beating myself up over it.”  
  
“Yeah, or _she’ll_ beat you up!” Sana laughs.  
  
“Sometimes she’s scary and I love her for it,” Momo grins, giving Jihyo a little finger heart when she happens to look their way coincidentally. Jihyo beams and gives her a double hand heart back, none the wiser.  
  
It isn’t long before they enter the building and grab their food, meeting at their usual table before scarfing down their meals. It’s evident that everyone has worked up an appetite after exerting themselves on the mud run, and the meal is enjoyed almost in complete silence. Although Sana is used to the idle food chatter, the silence amongst Twice is surprisingly comfortable tonight, and the usual instinct to be the one to fill in the quiet in moments like these in any other situation is an instinct that is not currently present. She mainly focuses on enjoying her meal, occasionally sharing pieces between her friends or accepting their own offers to her. She finds it especially cute when Jihyo tells her to go, “Ahhh,” before accepting whatever the girl has to offer.  
  
“So Nayeon and I have a surprise waiting at the cabin,” Jeongyeon says suddenly, after most of the food has disappeared off the table. Nayeon grins and nods, leaning her head against Jeongyeon’s shoulder.  
  
“It’s not anything weird or nasty, is it?” Dahyun asks, a skeptical eyebrow raised even when Jeongyeon rolls her eyes in response. Sana smirks when she sees that Nayeon tries not to giggle, probably knowing that her influence has spread enough to create ridiculous expectations even amongst the younger ones.  
  
“Anyway,” Jeongyeon leans in, and everyone else takes the cue to lean in closer to the center of the table. “Since we both showered first—”  
  
“Yeah, because you two ran to hog it even though you were both some of the least dirty out of the group,” Sana whines indignantly, cutting Jeongyeon off. The latter snorts for a moment before returning to her explanation.  
  
“— Whatever, we did that because we were able to grab some alcohol for us.”  
  
Nayeon adds, “You know, to celebrate our win. We think we got really lucky this year with you guys, so we wanted to treat everyone.” The resounding “ooh” from the rest of the cabin seems to satisfy the couple enough, their grins proud and wide.  
  
“It’s technically allowed, right?” Tzuyu asks.  
  
“They technically do because this is an adult camp session, but they definitely don’t serve it,” Jihyo says, now squinting. “So how did you two get some?”  
  
Jeongyeon seems to tense up at the question, but Nayeon isn’t afraid to answer in a cheekily coy fashion, “Jeongyeon and I brought some to enjoy for ourselves during the week but we haven’t touched the bottles yet and it just happened to be a good opportunity.”  
  
“Wait, if you already had it then why did showering first matter? It’s not like you had to go get it at the camp store,” Dahyun mumbles, as if trying to figure it out, but Sana is quick to jump on the bandwagon.  
  
“Ha!” Sana points between the couple. “It _didn’t_ have anything to do with it! You just knew that you two were being unfair and wanted that as an excuse!”  
  
Nayeon smirks, half-scoffing and looking at her nails. “And what about it?”  
  
“Well,” Jeongyeon clears her throat, “I think the important thing is that Nayeon and I are treating you guys to some drinks tonight. Is that alright with everyone?”  
  
“We should probably drink at the cabin instead of going to the bonfire,” Mina suggests.  
  
“That’s what I was thinking,” Nayeon agrees, and no one seems interested in protesting. Instead, there are quiet teases amongst them regarding the types of drunks they could be, who would be the girl with the lowest or highest tolerance, as well as a few pointed jokes about needing to keep Nayeon on a leash in case her drunken self has even less of a filter than she already does. But she rebuts, “My filter is fine!”  
  
“I’d like to take this moment,” Jihyo says, effectively gathering everyone’s attention after a few more jokes, “to say that, even if today had its mishaps, we honestly did awesome. Chaeng secured the win, but I think we all gave it our best shot,” she briefly glances at Sana and then Chaeyoung with a smile, “even when some didn’t want to. Great job today, everybody!”  
  
“Yes, thank you for avenging us,” Jeongyeon affirms.  
  
Nayeon pretends to wipe away a fake tear. “That awful bitch from last time wishes she could be even a fraction like any of you.”  
  
“Was she really that bad?” Tzuyu asks, and the brief look of horror in Jeongyeon’s widening eyes is enough to tell all of them that a mistake has been made just as Nayeon’s body immediately becomes more animated, mouth opening and at the ready.

* * *

  
They’re all three shots in and sitting on the floor, and Sana can tell from the constant side-eyeing that Tzuyu has definitely learned to regret asking Nayeon to elaborate on why her past cabin mate was as bad as she and Jeongyeon make her out to be.  
  
“And _another_ thing!” Nayeon says, much too loudly, as she essentially slumps against Tzuyu’s shoulder, “This girl, she just… god, she would just _leave_ the empty bottles of soap. Leave them there! So you go in, you think, ‘oh okay there is still soap left,’ but no. Then you’re like a whole minute into the shower and you’re too wet to get out already and there’s shampoo in your hair before you realize _there’s no fucking body wash_ , and like… who _does_ that? Fucking Satan is the name!”  
  
Tzuyu sighs and downs another shot, having already learned that, regardless of whether or not she chooses to give Nayeon a response, the girl will continue to go on.  
  
Sana likes the warmth in her ears as she snuggles up closer to Jihyo, who has agreed to spoon her while they sit. A quick glance over to Mina, and there’s an apologetic smile that the latter gives Sana while Momo similarly snuggles up into Mina’s arms. There is a moment where Sana wonders if Mina knows that Sana doesn’t need to worry about Momo and that it’s okay to cuddle with one’s good buddy. Unless Mina isn’t aware of that and is a little jealous of Sana and Jihyo’s position, which is a thought that pushes Sana to reciprocate with an apologetic smile of her own. They’re not together or anything, but somehow Sana is afraid of giving a misunderstood impression.  
  
“Mina’s looking at you,” Jihyo whispers. Sana already knows, of course, but the intrusion of someone else in what she often feels is her own accidental private world with Mina is enough to make her blush.  
  
“Maybe I’m doing the same,” Sana replies softly, an unintended giggle slipping out.  
  
She and Jihyo quickly clink their shot glasses together for another round before Jihyo asks, “Have you talked to her?”  
  
“I wouldn’t say that,” Sana shrugs.  
  
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Jihyo asks, a hint of amusement in her tone.  
  
Sana watches as a pouty Momo groans at the taste of another shot, with Mina giggling at the way Momo shakes in her arms. Jeongyeon leans over and pinches Momo’s cheeks, joining in Mina’s laughter and contributing to the furthering faux-miserable frown on Momo’s face, though it eventually cracks into an overall fit of giggling. The group seems to prefer a casual hangout, and Sana is grateful that there aren’t any typical game suggestions like spin the bottle – something she has had the displeasure of doing at parties in the past.  
  
“Uh,” Sana mumbles as she slowly remembers that Jihyo asked her a question, “I just picked a bad time to try and it didn’t happen.”  
  
“Bad time as in coincidental bad timing or as in you caught her in a bad mood or something?”  
  
“Just bad timing,” Sana clarifies, “I got scared by the thunderstorm last night.”  
  
“Aw,” Jihyo gently rubs Sana’s head. “It’s okay. I don’t think there will be more thunderstorms and you’ll get another chance to talk to her.”  
  
Sana grins, turning her head to give Jihyo a brief peck on the cheek. “Thank you, lovely!”  
  
“I’m confident that you’ll be fine,” Jihyo assures with a wink, though ultimately fighting back the urge to laugh when Sana decides to try and tickle her side.  
  
Dahyun and Chaeyoung decide to take it upon themselves to get in the center of everyone and rap some lines to their favorite songs, Chaeyoung remaining on the floor to adjust the music on her phone and to keep her ankle rested while Dahyun thrusts her entire being into whatever mildly embarrassing dance move she’s currently doing in the midst of everyone. Jeongyeon’s guffaws at the sight are the loudest of them all, though Nayeon’s volume could easily stand toe to toe against it. Tzuyu half-laughs and half-winces, with Nayeon’s hand sometimes gently and sometimes too realistically hitting her with every cackle out of the oldest girl’s mouth.  
  
Even though Sana is laughing along and enjoying the show, she decides it’s as good of a time as any to use the bathroom. She slowly unwraps herself from Jihyo’s arms, managing to get herself up with little trouble before walking to the bathroom. Aside from nearly tripping over a bag on the floor, she makes it to the bathroom fairly unscathed.  
  
“What a day,” she mumbles to herself as she finishes her toilet-related business. The feeling of warm running water over her hands once she reaches the sink feels strangely wonderful, and she isn’t sure how long she has just been standing at the sink when she hears a knock on the door and jolts in place. Hastily attempting to dry her hands, she says, “Hold on” only moments before opening the door.  
  
She’s surprised to see Momo at the door, slouched slightly while hugging one of Tzuyu’s stuffed puppy plushies tightly to her chest. Sana tries to excuse herself and let Momo have the bathroom to herself, but the latter seems to have other plans as she pushes herself through the doorway and quickly closes the door behind her, leaving the two of them inside.  
  
“Sana,” Momo says, and Sana expects more to come out. But nothing does.  
  
Confused, Sana responds with a simple, “Yes?”  
  
“How’s it going with Mina?”  
  
The question is sincere enough that Sana briefly laughs, “Did you corner me in the bathroom just to ask me that?”  
  
Momo looks as though she can’t fathom why it’s odd. “Uh, yeah? Am I supposed to yell the question across the room?”  
  
“I mean, no, but you could’ve just sat next to me and we could have whispered or something.”  
  
“Too risky,” Momo simply deems, humming for a moment as her eyes scan the room. “This is better for secrets. Bathrooms are for secrets.”  
  
“Are you drunk?”  
  
“Are you?” Momo shoots back, pressing her cheek against the fabric of the plushie.  
  
The warmth tickles at the back of Sana’s head. “Anyway, Mina is being herself. I’m being myself. All is well.”  
  
Momo whines, “That isn’t helpful at all! I need to know so that I can give you the talk.”  
  
“The talk?”  
  
“The talk where I threaten your life if you hurt Mina.”  
  
Sana’s jaw drops. “Aren’t you _my_ best friend?”  
  
“I would give her the same talk! But you’re the only one out of the two of you who is keeping me in the loop, so I can only ask you.”  
  
Sana gently squishes Momo’s cheeks with her palms. “Aw, I love the way you threaten our lives for the other.”  
  
“You know what I mean,” Momo grins, allowing Sana to continue kneading her face. “I just want to know how it’s going.”  
  
Sana bites her lip for a moment before admitting, “I think we almost kissed.”  
  
“What?!” Momo’s eyes widen, grabbing one of Sana’s wrists excitedly and pulling it down from her face.  
  
“Lower your voice!” Sana hisses, taking a second for Momo’s expectant grin to relax before continuing, “I was going to tell her that I might like her last night. And suddenly she was leaning in slightly, and I felt myself being drawn closer, but then that storm happened and so now nothing was said and there was definitely no kiss.”  
  
“What?” Momo repeats, though now in a soft and disappointed whine rather than the excited curiosity of before.  
  
“I know,” Sana pouts, though it inevitably stretches into a fond smile. “But I still had a good night with her. She let me sleep in her lap until the thunder stopped.”  
  
Momo smiles at that. “That does sound sweet.”  
  
There is a soft reminder that plays in Sana’s mind, in a quiet voice that she finds herself yearning to hear more and more with each passing day, _“I’m here.”_ And she knows it’s true, even if Mina doesn’t; the way she has wiggled her way into Sana’s chest with nothing more than a smile, a few sweet words, and a reassuring touch. How could elegance be so gentle, and how did Sana end up falling right into its lap?  
  
She isn’t sure where it goes, her usual cheeriness. Sana can’t be sure that she’s mellowing out because of her train of thought or because of the way the warmth of her body begins to feel like it’s permeating through her skin from the alcohol. But her best friend is in front of her, and there’s little room for worrying alone.  
  
“It was,” Sana confirms, but not without wrapping Momo in an embrace and saying, “I’m crazy for liking her so much so quickly, aren’t I?” She can feel the plushie squished between their stomachs as well as the way Momo freezes momentarily before holding Sana just as tightly.  
  
“I don’t think so. She’s great, and so are you,” Momo says quietly, rubbing Sana’s back. “There aren’t any rules to this kind of thing.”  
  
Sana’s laugh is dry. “Why can’t there be?”  
  
“Oi,” Momo gives Sana a peck on the cheek. “I don’t know which Sana I’m talking to right now, but my best friend is a strong girl no matter what form she takes. I really think it’ll be okay. Mina seems to like you, too.”  
  
Sana pulls her face back to meet Momo’s gaze. “Do you really think that? You’re closer to her than Jihyo, and she told me the same thing, but it’s a little different coming from you since you’ve been friends with Mina longer.”  
  
Momo grins, in that charming and somewhat childish way. “I do! Like I said, I’m your wingman, always. I’ve been trying to pay attention.”  
  
Her eyes crinkling, Sana smiles warmly at the response until the two begin to giggle softly amongst themselves after not being able to maintain eye contact for too long. They love to bother each other, but it can never take this away. And that fondness swells up in Sana suddenly, and it isn’t long until she’s littering Momo with appreciative kisses on the cheek, to the point where Momo jokingly groans despite not resisting it at all. When Sana finally pulls away from both Momo’s face and the hug, Momo lifts the little plushie from between them and holds it up to Sana, waving its little paw at her.  
  
“You forgot somebody!” Momo says cutely, giggling when Sana takes the cue and gives the puppy plushie a kiss on the head.  
  
“Never drink alcohol, little pup,” Sana mumbles in the dog’s face, her own nose scrunched up when she gives the plushie a pat on the head before turning and leading both her and Momo out of the bathroom.  
  
She and Momo both freeze in horror as they return to the room, greeted by the sight of Nayeon biting directly into a stick of butter, with the rest of the girls watching in petrified awe. Even Tzuyu is unable to reign back an expression of utter shock, and Jeongyeon is already covering her face with one hand as Nayeon begins to rave about how good butter tastes and how she doesn’t understand why it can’t be its own snack.  
  
“Because you can have way too much of a good thing,” Jihyo answers, taking the initiative and reaching over to grab the stick of butter out of Nayeon’s hand. Despite a slight wobble, Jihyo makes her way over to the trash and tosses the stick of butter into it.  
  
“My butter!” Nayeon whines.  
  
“Drunk people aren’t allowed around butter,” Jihyo chuckles, returning and patting Nayeon on the head, who is making a show out of grumbling.  
  
Tzuyu and Chaeyoung have moved to Tzuyu’s bed, sitting together amongst the pile of plushies while intently listening to some video on Chaeyoung’s phone with shared earbuds. Dahyun has shifted toward Mina, resting her head against the girl’s shoulder while the two revisit the pictures of their dogs on their phones. Jeongyeon is now trying to console her girlfriend’s buttered loss with a kiss on the temple, and Nayeon seems to forget all about the stick as she smiles shyly and lets herself melt backwards into Jeongyeon’s arms that kindly await her.  
  
“How’s everyone feeling?” Sana asks, already convinced by the delayed turns of everyone’s heads that they’re feeling at least some kind of buzz. Tzuyu is the quickest to turn her head, and Sana feels a strange sense of pride in knowing Tzuyu may be the least far gone.  
  
“Alcohol bad,” Dahyun mumbles when no one else answers Sana’s question, with Mina giggling at the comment from beside her.  
  
“It’ll be okay, just don’t have anymore,” Mina says, patting Dahyun’s face before looking up at Sana and answering, “I’m okay, I think. How about you?”  
  
Sana feels a soft nudge from Momo before replying, “It’s kicking in. Want to get some fresh air?”  
  
She blatantly directs it toward the room, praying that no one aside from Mina would want to join her. Jihyo glances between Sana and Momo, looking as though she wants to speak up until something drives her to keep her mouth shut. Nayeon only shakes her head, eyes closed as she lays back in Jeongyeon’s arms, who only offers a polite smile before shaking her head as well.  
  
“I’m good, thanks!” Chaeyoung says with a smile, and Tzuyu nods along with that before the two return to the video on Chaeyoung’s phone. Sana is beginning to wonder if they’re watching an episode from a show or something, as it has been going longer than a standard trivial video.  
  
“I wouldn’t m—” Dahyun begins to speak up, but not before Momo practically dives down and attacks her with a tight hug, with Mina blinking and making quick space for Momo to do so.  
  
“It’s my time with you now,” Momo snickers mischievously, and Sana has to bite down a laugh from seeing Dahyun’s confused and widened eyes as Momo snuggles up against her, puppy plush included. Mina chuckles only kind of awkwardly before getting up and nodding her head toward the front door, meeting Sana’s eyes.  
  
“I’ll join you.”  
  
Sana gulps. “Okay!”

* * *

  
Closing the door behind her, Sana joins Mina’s side by the wooden railing of the porch, leaning against it with her arms. The air is warmer tonight, and the sounds of cicadas pleasantly buzz against Sana’s warm ears as she tries to suppress the nervous feeling in her stomach.  
  
“This is kind of familiar, isn’t it?” Sana jokes, gently nudging Mina and smiling when it elicits a small laugh from the latter.  
  
“True,” Mina smirks a bit, though she keeps her gaze ahead on the campground. “Feels almost intentional, doesn’t it?”  
  
Sana blushes. “I mean, you didn’t have to come out here with –”  
  
She stops when she feels Mina looping her arm around her own, bringing their sides as close as possible. Sana doesn’t resist when Mina’s hand snakes its way into her own, and there is no reason to deny the way that their fingers intertwine upon the wood. Sana likes the way that Mina gently squeezes her hand.  
  
“I’m just teasing you,” Mina says softly, giving Sana a reassuring but shy smile. She chuckles, “Maybe the alcohol is making me mischievous.”  
  
“You? Mischievous?” Sana is beaming, amused by the idea.  
  
“What?” Mina fakes a pout. “Can’t I be?”  
  
Sana laughs heartily, “I can’t tell if you’re just tipsy or drunk. What’s drunk Mina like?”  
  
“I don’t know,” Mina admits sheepishly. “I don’t drink much, and I usually stop once the warmth kicks in. I feel coherent, though.”  
  
“You and I are probably around the same level, then,” Sana says, “I feel good right now.”  
  
“Me, too,” Mina smiles, and there’s a comfortable silence that follows for a little while. The campground is weirdly pleasant at night, with aesthetically paved dirt paths lining the area, occasionally accompanied by warm lantern lights so that it isn’t pitch black. They’re along a path that houses rows of different cabins, all very much identical from the outside.  
  
Sana wonders how the other cabins at camp are doing. Are they having fun? Are other girls creating new friendships or did they come with a pre-existing group of friends? Have any of them regretted coming to camp by now? How did she get so lucky? Why was her cabin full of sweet and hilarious girls?  
  
“Why are you crying?” Mina asks gently, and Sana realizes that Mina has turned toward her.  
  
Sana blinks away the wet feeling in her eyes. “I’m not.”  
  
“Okay, maybe you’re not crying,” Mina corrects, “but your eyes are watering a lot suddenly. Are you feeling alright?”  
  
“Yes, sorry,” Sana says quickly, blinking rapidly while Mina patiently watches her.  
  
“Between last night and tonight, I’m starting to get an entirely different view of you,” Mina teases, though her hand squeezes Sana’s comfortingly again.  
  
“In my defense, I actually do have a fear of thunder, so that was just unfortunate. Otherwise, I’m fine. It’s just that I’m maybe not sober and also very sentimental.”  
  
“What were you thinking about?”  
  
“Just how lucky I am right now. I didn’t really have any high expectations for this trip and I mostly accepted the offer on a whim. But I’m having so much fun with everyone. There’s _nine_ of us. How is it possible that I love every single person here? Wouldn’t math say otherwise? Then again, I’m also bad at math… math sucks. Doesn’t math suck?”  
  
“It certainly can,” Mina chuckles. “It’s okay to be sentimental. I’m having a really good time, too, and everyone has been great. I didn’t think I could get comfortable with such a big group so quickly, especially since I only really knew Momo at first.”  
  
Sana smiles shyly, mumbling, “I’m having a really good time with you. You might be my favorite new person out of all of the new girls.”  
  
Mina seems amused by the wording. “Really? I think I’m a pretty quiet presence by comparison.”  
  
“Yours is the loudest to me,” Sana pouts. Mina blinks and, as far as Sana can tell, blushes at that. But she smiles sheepishly nonetheless.  
  
“Since it’s coming from you, I know it’s a compliment. Although, I’ll admit that if it wasn’t coming from you, I wouldn’t be sure if it was."  
  
“Hey! It was supposed to be romantic!”  
  
“So you’re trying to be romantic?” Mina grins playfully.  
  
Sana shrugs, though the butterflies in her stomach are making her borderline nauseous, “I don’t know. Maybe.”  
  
“There was something you wanted to tell me last night,” Mina prompts softly, and Sana wants to die on the spot as Mina’s thumb rubs against the back of her hand. She returns the gesture, caressing Mina’s hand with her own digit until the latter adds, “But you didn’t get to tell me.”  
  
Sana’s gaze lands on their hands, laced together between them. Momo’s words come back to her, _“Mina seems to like you, too._ ” And maybe, with their hands like this and with the way Mina waits for her to respond without any pushing, Sana can agree that it might seem obvious. Maybe it’s the most obvious thing in the world, the two of them alone at night beneath the glow of a porchlight. But the fear is there anyway, and maybe it won’t go away no matter what if she doesn’t just go for it.  
  
“I wanted to tell you that you have been my favorite part of this experience so far,” Sana says quietly, making sure to keep her eyes on Mina’s. She even grabs Mina’s other hand as they now face one another completely, with Sana continuing, “Even you just being yourself is an experience on its own that I am enjoying a lot. And I know that I’m affectionate with the others and that I say things, but it’s special when it’s with you.”  
  
There is a quiet moment that follows, with Sana’s resolute stare trying to make sense of Mina’s expression, one that is sheepish yet thoughtful at the same time. And it’s killing Sana slowly, because Mina opens her mouth every so often before shutting it, as if going through some trial and error over what to say. So, Sana decides digging her own hole any deeper might be more productive than this gnawing silence.  
  
“I thought you were going to kiss me last night,” Sana admits, confident in her assumption. Mina’s reddening cheeks reassure her that she’s right.  
  
“I thought you… wanted to,” Mina replies in a whisper, now averting her gaze. She questions, “Did I misunderstand?”  
  
Sana blinks, quickly slurring her words messily in an effort to comfort Mina, “Well, I wanted to tell you that I liked you first, but then you were leaning in a bit, and then I thought we were going to kiss, and then nature happened, and then—”  
  
“So you do like me?”  
  
Sana’s lips stretch into a grin at the sight of Mina’s shy smile again, “It’s hard not to. Is that too fast?”  
  
“I don’t think so, but,” Mina bites her lip momentarily before continuing, “I’d like to be sober when we kiss. Is that okay?”  
  
“’When?’ Not ‘if?’” Sana beams, unable to resist squeezing Mina’s hands and slightly bouncing in place.  
  
“I like you, too,” Mina says softly, “and I do want to… kiss you... But we should stay like this, for right now.”  
  
It’s more than enough, more than Sana could have hoped for even if she had expected Mina to like her back. She squeezes their hands together tightly, bringing them up to their chests between them, and it inadvertently pulls their bodies slightly closer.  
  
“I can stay like this forever,” Sana whispers softly, noting the way that Mina briefly looks down at her lips. The gap has shortened, and Sana takes a peek at Mina’s mouth before looking up and finding Mina’s eyes again. There’s a brief moment in the air between them, a moment of temptation. But Mina’s gummy smile is the first to break, and then Sana’s, and they grin widely at one another whilst giggling the tension away before letting go and replacing their held hands with a full embrace. Sana buries her face into Mina’s neck, holding her tight while the latter gently rubs her back.  
  
Forever may not be long enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for the past comments and for future comments. I often reread them, because they help me feel better about the bits that I'm not as confident about, and they were able to help me push myself to get through with this update when I've been struggling a bit with writing this particular chapter (for no specific reason other than mood stuff). So thank you; your sweet words and feedback means a lot to me. Thank you for your time and consideration in reading my work.
> 
> Feel free to stop by over at:  
> Twitter: [@heartshooketh](https://twitter.com/heartshooketh)  
> CuriousCat: [@dubfu](https://curiouscat.me/dubfu)


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